Best Fall Dishes for 2018

As the outside temperature cools down and the leaves start to change colors, it’s evident that fall has arrived in spirit. Summer fixtures like berries and melons are on their way out, while autumn food will continue to become more popular. The following list includes some of the best fall dishes that restaurants should be featuring on their menus.

Apples

Thanks to apple festivals and apple picking, these delicious fruits are possibly the food that’s most associated with the fall season. Coming in many iterations, apples boast the versatility to be used in a wide range of culinary creations. Classics like freshly squeezed apple juice can be easily made with an electric juicing machine, while perfectly baked apple pie only requires some bakeware and a commercial oven. Hot apple cider boasts a distinct autumn taste and is even more delicious when served from a dispenser like this one. A large stock pot is ideal for making chunky applesauce, while a blender is perfect for smooth applesauce. Other essential apple-based items include sweet apple fritters and caramel apples. And of course—you can’t go wrong with a good-ole fashioned, regular apple.

Pumpkins

The only food that can contend with apples as far as fall food popularity, the pumpkin also has a multitude of festivals that celebrate its existence. The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival is likely the most well-known, but the giant pumpkin festivals and weigh offs are also great events that should be experienced by everyone at least once. While eating raw pumpkin is not such a common occurrence, nearly everyone enjoys other pumpkin-based dishes. Baked delicacies like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin muffins are always a treat. If you’re looking to add a kick of flavoring, pumpkin spice might just be perfect for you. Pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin cheesecake make for perfect dessert dishes, while roasted pumpkin seeds are rich in nutrients and ideal for snacking on. For those who prefer pumpkin-based liquids, a pumpkin-spiced latte can help start the day, and a pumpkin beer can help you wind down from it.

Squash

While pumpkin is technically part of the squash family, there is pretty clear difference between the two as far as diners are concerned. And although different types of squash are harvested throughout the year, the arrival of fall means some of the more popular types of squash have matured and are ready to be plucked from the ground. A great substitute for carb-dense pasta, spaghetti squash can be served in lasagna or in a tasty sauce. Butternut squash has a delicious sweet taste and is an excellent source of both Vitamin E and Vitamin A. With properties that lend themselves well to making soup, butternut squash can also be roasted and goes well with garlic flavoring.

Turkey

This classic Thanksgiving Day entrée has been a fall season staple for thousands of years.  Capable of being cooked in a variety of ways, turkey can be deep fried, roasted, slow cooked, or steamed. For flavoring, the delicious bird can be wrapped with bacon or stuffed with fresh herbs. Chefs who really want to go all should try making a turducken. Popularized by football legend John Madden, the turducken consists of a deboned chicken inside a deboned duck that’s inside a deboned turkey.  It’s an ambitious endeavor, but by all accounts is completely worth the effort.

A serving of turkey is incomplete without a healthy helping of gravy. Giving the meat a fuller, more flavorful taste, gravy can be made sweet or spicy. Make sure to check out our large selection of gravy boats for the perfect tool to pour your gravy.

Brussels Sprouts

This cruciferous vegetable offers a wide range of health benefits and is at its freshest and most delicious during the fall season. This is due to the Brussels sprout’s preference for growing in cool weather where there’s least six hours of daily sunlight. Brussels sprouts are most commonly roasted but maintain more moisture when sautéed. Many people enjoy the fall vegetable with a dipping sauce or a cheese like parmesan. While sriracha and lemon-flavored sauces are popular choices, garlic and bacon flavoring are also prevalent.

Potatoes

Whether you prefer sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, russet potatoes, or fingerling potatoes, fall is the perfect time to get your fix. With harvest beginning in early September and lasting through late October, potatoes will be plentiful and delicious for the foreseeable future. Roasted potato wedges are ideal for complimenting a variety of different dishes, while mashed potatoes are a bit more labor intensive to make but offer a delicious payoff. There’s no going wrong with the classic baked potato, which is still the standard side dish for mouth-watering steaks.

Beets

Offering numerous health benefits, beets are in season from the summer through late fall.  An extremely versatile side dish, the rooted plant is a great additive to salads and can be even made into hummus or mustard. And if you can appreciate beets for their nutritional value but are not a big far of their taste, try making this ginger-beet sorbet. For vegetarian restaurants, a beet burger provides diners with an innovative food option that likely isn’t available at many other places.

Make sure to take advantage of the fall harvest by crafting meals around food that’s in season. Before you know it, spring will be here and you’ll be yearning for the fall foods that are no longer available.