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I love cooking in the fall. Soup, pumpkins, apples, and just so many other fun seasonal things to try and the world is your oyster for tastes!

Here’s some of my favorite fall recipes for this year

APPLE CIDER 

GLAZED  SALMON

Vegetable oil, for the baking dish

1 cup apple cider

2 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger (from a 3/4-inch piece)

1/4 tsp. paprika

5 garlic cloves, grated

6 Tbsp. salted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

1 (2-pound) piece center-cut salmon, skin removed

2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 lb. small red-skinned potatoes, quartered

1 lb. green beans, trimmed

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. For the glaze: Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, paprika, and 2 grated garlic cloves in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer , and cook, stirring often, until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and the juice of ½ lemon. Set aside half of the glaze in a small bowl for serving.

Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and place in the prepared baking dish. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then brush with the remaining glaze in the saucepan. Roast until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook for 8 minutes. Add the green beans on top of the potatoes, cover, and cook until the beans are crisp-tender and the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife, about 5 minutes

Carefully remove the steamer basket and vegetables from the pot. Wipe the pot clean, then add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Stir in the remaining 3 grated garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the potatoes and green beans to the pot. Toss with the juice of the remaining ½ lemon, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Brush the salmon with the reserved glaze and serve with the vegetables. 

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SHEET PAN GLAZED MEATLOAF

Meatloaf

Cooking spray

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

3 slices white sandwich bread

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (90/10)

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish 

3/4 tsp. seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Buttered rolls, for serving

Vegetables

1 lb. broccoli florets

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Glaze

3 slices bacon

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

For the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle half of it with the breadcrumbs. Place the bread in a large bowl and pour the milk over the top, allowing the bread to soak it up. Add the beef, eggs, parmesan, parsley, seasoned salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined, making sure the bread is completely incorporated.

Pat the mixture evenly into the half of the sheet pan with the breadcrumbs, forming it into a flat rectangle.

For the vegetables: Toss together the broccoli, olive oil, seasoned salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread the vegetables on the other half of the sheet pan. Bake until the broccoli starts to brown, about 10 minutes.

For the glaze: Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; let cool, then chop. Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the broccoli. Brush the glaze over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the cooked bacon. Continue to bake until the meatloaf is cooked through and slightly browned, and the broccoli is golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli and toss. Cut the meatloaf into squares and garnish with parsley. Serve with the broccoli and rolls.

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BUFFALO 

CHICKEN PASTA

Kosher salt, to taste

12 oz. rotini (spiral) pasta

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. salted butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed into bite-size pieces

Black pepper, to taste

2 celery stalks, sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small white onion, diced

4 oz. (1/4 c.) light lager beer

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup Buffalo-style hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot, plus more to taste

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 2 oz.), for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.  

Meanwhile, place the flour in a shallow dish. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess, and add it to the skillet. Brown the chicken, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate, and set aside. 

Reserve some of the chopped celery for topping, and add the rest to the skillet, along with the garlic and onion. Cook over medium-high heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beer and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release all the flavorful bits. Add the heavy cream and hot sauce, and bring to a simmer.  

Add the reserved chicken and pasta to the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the sauce thickens and everything has come together, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the spice level as needed.  

Serve the pasta topped with the blue cheese, reserved sliced celery.

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CHICKEN CRESCENT ROLL UPS

Cooking spray, for the baking dish

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (6 oz.)

1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)

2 cups finely shredded chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

4 green onions, sliced

2 (8-oz.) tubes crescent rolls (such as Pillsbury)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cream of chicken soup, Italian seasoning, and ½ cup of the cheddar over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer or sturdy spatula until smooth. Stir in the garlic powder, pepper, salt, and a few dashes of hot sauce, if using. Fold in the chicken, jalapeño, 2 of the sliced green onions, and the remaining 1 cup cheddar.

Working swiftly to keep the dough cold, unroll the crescent dough and separate the perforated dough into 16 triangles. Place 2 packed tablespoons of filling (a cookie scoop helps a lot) along the short edge of a triangle and roll up the filling toward the pointed end. Pinch the sides to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Nestle the roll-ups into the sauce in the baking dish.

Bake until golden and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before sprinkling with the remaining 2 sliced green onions and serving.

TFD: "Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment." — Will Rogers

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