Top 5 Fall Recipes for the Week

Let’s hear it for fall! The cooler weather means I’m craving comfort foods. Bring on all the yummy meals. After all,  what is more comforting than soup and dumplings? So, here they are – my Top Fall Recipes for you.

Chicken Dumplings Dinner

For this recipe, I use rotisserie chicken. I like using the pre-packaged sliced rotisserie chicken that Costco sells, but you can buy one large or two small rotisserie chickens to use instead.

Chicken Stew

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 small or 1 large onion
• 1 ½ cup frozen peas
• 2 lbs. of chopped or diced chicken
• 8 cups of reduced sodium chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper

Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives)
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup buttermilk
• *minced herbs for garnish

Using an 8 quart or larger heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven, add butter and vegetables and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add chicken, stock, and water and bring to a boil. While chicken is cooking, prepare the dumplings.

To prepare the dumplings: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and herbs. Stir in the butter and the buttermilk. Stir until just combined, don’t over-mix. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dumpling mixture and place on top of the stew, leaving a little space between the dumplings (they will expand). You’ll get about 24 dumplings. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 mins. The dumplings cook in the steam, so don’t lift the lid. Stir the dumplings, recover and cook for another 15 minutes.

With this delicious Chicken Dumplings for dinner you’ll be warmed right up. And, you’ll see why this is one of my top fall recipes!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Although this is perfect for dinner, I like making extra (even doubling the recipe) so that lunch the rest of the week is covered. I just love tomato soup that much.

• 3 lbs. Roma Tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• 5-7 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp each of dried thyme and tarragon
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained. I prefer to use a carton of Pomi tomatoes
• 1 carton of low-sodium chicken bone broth
• pinch of nutmeg and pepper
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 4 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 oz. gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice tomatoes into thick slices, lengthwise, about 4-5 slices per tomato. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil, place tomatoes in a single layer on baking sheet, brush or drizzle oil generously over tomatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in oven for about 90 minutes, until blackened in spots and softened. Let cool.

Sauté carrots and onions with herbs in 6-quart heavy pot on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add 2 cups of bone broth, cover pot, and turn heat down to low heat for 15-20 minutes to allow carrots to soften. Then add the diced tomatoes (Pomi or canned) and rest of bone broth. Once they’ve cooled, chop and add the roasted tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Using an emersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully blend in a blender ensuring you allow the heat to vent. Add heavy cream and cheese, stir on low heat until cheese melts. I garnished with crispy bacon bits and additional shaved parmesan cheese before serving.

This soup freezes well, though, I leave out the cream and add when reheating it. It’s another of my top fall recipes.

Chicken Piccata

Not only is this a delicious dinner, but it makes a beautiful presentation! Make this for dinner to night and you’ll know how it earned a spot in my top fall recipes.

• 4 boneless, thinly sliced chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. diced onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup no-salt added chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp., capers
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter.

Sauté chicken breasts in olive oil on medium-high heat for 4 minutes on each side. While cooking, rinse and dry capers to remove excess sodium. Add onion and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice and chicken broth. Simmer until bubbly. Remove from heat and add butter and capers. Select your own recipe for mashed potatoes, add no-salt added canned or fresh green beans, and your meal is ready.

Pork Tenderloin

 When we were researching our new kitchen appliances, the pork tenderloin made in the Thermador steam oven sold me on getting one. Steam creates such a tender and moist tenderloin. To create a more tender and moist tenderloin, use a pre-marinated one from the store.

• 2 pounds boneless pork loin roast, pre-marinated
• ½ cup of white wine

Place pork loin into oven, turning and basting with pan liquids. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove roast to a platter. Heat the wine in the pan and stir to loosen browned bits of food on the bottom. Serve with pan juices.

German Apple Cake

My German son-in-law loves this cake, so I think it must taste pretty authentic. Using a food processor to slice the apples shortens the prep time. For some interesting information, and a little background on German Apple Cake, check out this website: Apfelkuchen (Apple Cake). My recipe is different, but I liked how they share the history about the cake.

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla
• 4 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter, 1 cup of sugar, and eggs on low-speed for 2 minutes. Add flour, baking powder, and vanilla and mix for 1 more minute. Pour into a 9” greased, parchment paper-lined, spring form pan.

Stir sliced apples with 1/3 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Arrange slices on top of cake, pressing them lightly into the batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

You’ll love these top fall recipes!

Enjoy the lovely fall weather and make something special today!

For more fall meal inspiration, check out these posts: https://thefeatherednester.com/fall-recipes-roundup-decor/ https://thefeatherednester.com/apple-crisp-everyones-fall-favorite/