7 Fabulous Fall Menus

Enjoy the hearty tastes of fall with a week of dinner menus, including recipes for casseroles, pies, apple dishes and more.
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Menu #1: Ranch-style meat loaf dinner

A ketchup glaze dresses up meat loaf in a favorite recipe from Triangle Ranch Bed and Breakfast in western South Dakota, where guests enjoy meals prepared by B&B owner Lyndy Ireland. Serve with Lyndy's chocolate cookies for dessert.Your menu:Dell's Branding Day Meat LoafBoiled new potatoesMixed green saladChocolate Waffle Cookies (see next slide)Tip: The meat loaf serves 4 to 6 big eaters (cowboys!) or 8 to 10 regular folks. It slices better if you let it stand 10 minutes before cutting.Dell's Branding Day Meat Loaf

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Chocolate Waffle Turtle Cookies

These turtle cookies are cooked in a waffle iron, not oven-baked. The recipe comes from the Triangle Ranch B&B in South Dakota.Chocolate Waffle Turtle Cookies

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Menu #2: Hot sandwich dinner

Marinating and long, slow cooking create a flavorful, juicy meat for sandwiches. Finish the meal with a sweet apple dessert everyone will love.Your menu: Smoky Brisket SandwichesCole slawMaple-Apple Pudding Bake (next slide)Smoky Brisket Sandwiches

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Maple-Apple Pudding Bake

The Wisconsin Maple Producers created this recipe to showcase maple syrup and juicy apples in a moist, rich dessert.Tip: For sweetened whipped cream, in a chilled bowl beat an 8-ounce carton whipping cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer or a wire whisk until soft peaks form. This can be done up to 1 hour before serving.Maple-Apple Pudding Bake

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Menu #3: Fish and chips dinner

Serve our beer-batter fried walleye with either traditional tartar sauce or with our sweet-and-sour sauce made from exotic yellow-orange mangoes. Purchased baked potato wedges (frozen ones do nicely) and a homemade pie complete the meal.Your menu:Crispy Fried WalleyeBaked potato wedgesCherry Crisp Pie (next slide)Tip: For added zip, top hot baked potato wedges with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions; return to oven for 1-2 minutes.Crispy Fried Walleye with Mango Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

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Cherry Crisp Pie

Cherry Crisp Pie tops the charts at Kathy's Pies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "It's not overly sweet and has just the right bite to it. That makes it a true cherry lover's pie," says pie shop owner Kathy McCauley.Cherry Crisp PieMore Better-than-Ever Classic Pies

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Menu #4: Country chicken dinner

Paprika-seasoned sour cream sauce adds buttery flavor to this chicken dish. Off-the-shelf items--canned vegetables, noodles and salad-- help you put the rest of this dinner together quickly. Bake the Sweet Potato-Cranberry Cake ahead of time if you like, and be sure to save some for snacks or even breakfast.Your menu:Country-Style Chicken PaprikashCanned mixed peas and carrotsSpaetzle, noodles or home-style dumplingsSweet Potato-Cranberry Cake (next slide)Tip: To perk up canned vegetables, heat them in a saucepan, then toss with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, ground black pepper and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.Country-Style Chicken Paprikash

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Sweet Potato-Cranberry Cake

Chocolate and sweet potato batters are swirled together to make this moist, tender spice cake from Patricia Polley of Columbus, Ohio. Wrap and store the cooled cake overnight for easier slicing. (It's a great alternative to coffee cake for brunches.)Sweet Potato-Cranberry Cake

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Menu #5: Flavors of Italy dinner

Italian-inspired Puffed-Up Pizza Casserole was one of the winners in Midwest Living®'s "Heavenly Hotdish" contest. The recipe comes from a Maryland Heights, Missouri, reader, who says the casserole freezes and reheats well. Adjust the hot-pepper sauce to suit your taste.Your menu:Puffed-Up Pizza CasseroleFresh greens or fresh fruitTiramisu (next slide)Tip: For more great casserole ideas, click on the link below for "Our Best Casserole and Hotdish Recipes."Puffed-Up Pizza CasseroleOur Best Casserole and Hotdish Recipes

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Tiramisu

This classic Italian dessert almost always brings a round of contented sighs when it's served. This recipe comes from Gian-Tony's on the Hill in St. Louis. Our Test Kitchen decided the liqueurs could be omitted if necessary, but we liked the flavor they added.Tiramisu

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Menu #6: Autumn harvest dinner

For a fall-flavor dinner that comes together quickly, fast-cooking pork chops pair with couscous and a fun dessert that starts with purchased brownies.Your menu:Pork Chops with Pear-Maple SauceCranberry CouscousTossed salad greensBrownie parfaits (next slide)Tip: Experiment with couscous add-ins such as chopped dried tomatoes, chopped fresh spinach, toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs of your choice, raisins or diced sweet peppers.Pork Chops with Pear-Maple SauceCranberry Couscous

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Brownie Parfaits

Layer store-bought brownies with a sweetened cream-cheese sauce and peppermint patties for a delicious and fast dessert.Brownie Parfaits

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Menu #7: Soup and salad dinner

An Ames, Iowa, reader loves to serve this hearty soup to her family on Saturday nights. Her grown children now make it for their children, too. "What great memories of cold Iowa nights enjoying a memory meal!" she says.Your menu:Saturday Night Beef-Vegetable SoupPurchased rollsSpiced Pecan Apple Salad (next slide)Autumn Cutouts (slide 15)Tip: Serve hot spiced apple cider with this meal on really cold nights.Saturday Night Beef-Vegetable Soup

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Spiced Pecan Apple Salad

This recipe comes from the Junior League of Chicago's cookbook, Celebrate Chicago! A Taste of Our Town. Apple and pecans blend with feta cheese in a spiced oil-and-vinegar dressing.Spiced Pecan Apple Salad

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Autumn Cutouts

A hint of pumpkin adds color and flavor to these festive fall sugar cookies. They're a treat for family or guests. For more cookie ideas, click on the link below to "Favorite Fall Cookies."Autumn CutoutsFavorite Fall Cookies

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