8 Elegant & Easy Fall Recipes

When you’re not in the mood to go out for dinner, and take-out or delivery just won’t cut it, try one of these elegant & easy fall recipes to elevate your evening & keep things simple yet delicious. Good meals don’t have to be difficult to make! 

Keep things simple 

I love going out to eat, trying new places around town, and enjoying the cozy & elevated ambience at restaurants. I even just love virtually checking out pictures & menus for restaurants all over the world (thank you, internet!). 

But the chronic fatigue I experience because of my inflammation and autoimmune issues is, well…exhausting. I simply don’t always have the energy to prepare a labor-intensive dinner or go out to eat. Hidden illness or not, all of us have days where we just need a little simplicity.  

Keeping these fall meal ideas top-of-mind has been a gamechanger for me on those nights where I really don’t feel like cooking, but I know that my body needs a good meal. And I know my wallet is grateful for being spared paying yet another mysterious delivery fee. Each recipe below has less than 30-45 minutes of active cooking time and uses only a few pots, pans, or baking dishes to help keep cleanup easy, too. And each recipe is so, so good!

Impressive recipes & leftovers 

These are also great go-to meals when you’re trying to impress guests at a gathering or dinner party. Plus, since the meals are quick & easy to prepare, you’ll be able to spend less time in the kitchen & more time with your guests (or more time setting an epic dinner party themed table!).

And bonus: these easy fall dinners make good leftovers! “Future you” will thank you at lunchtime the next day when you have a cozy meal to enjoy that can be reheated in just a few minutes in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stovetop.

For easy side dishes to serve with any of the dishes below, I recommend continuing to keep things simple with steamer bags of frozen veggies & rice. 

8 elegant & easy fall recipes

1. Weeknight Bolognese by Ina Garten (Food Network)
2. The Best Baked Salmon by Food Network Kitchen (Food Network)
3. Cacio e Pepe by Geoffrey Zakarian (Food Network) 
4. Chicken Marsala by Tyler Florence (Food Network) 
5. Air Fryer Pork Chops by Food Network Kitchen (Food Network)
6. Cheese Tortellini in Light Broth by Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network) 
7. Scallops Provencal by Ina Garten (Food Network)
8. Air Fryer Crab Cakes with Chipotle Sauce by Maya Ferrante for Food Network Kitchen (Food Network) 

Be sure to bookmark these impressive recipes to use the next time you’re looking for elegant but easy fall recipes! 

PS – If you can’t tell by this list, Italian food is the way to my heart!