It's the season for colder days and crunchy leaves. It's time for sweaters, boots and scarves. Fall is also a great time for delicious seasonal foods such as pumpkins and squash, apples and pears and hot beverages for those colder days. So grab some utensils and find the secret to a great fall through these popular recipes.

1. Pumpkin/Sweet Potato Soup: What's fall without pumpkins? Pumpkins can be served at all meals, whether it's roasted pumpkin seeds or pumpkin dip as a healthy alternative to popular sour cream dip. Pumpkin soup is easy to make and you can add a twist by adding spices or serve it in a hollowed pumpkin. If pumpkin isn't your thing, then try butternut squash soup or SimplyRecipes' creamy sweet potato recipe. Both meals are also healthy and can be garnished with diced apple or served with a tossed salad.

2. Fall Salads: Seasonal produce, such as cranberries, grapes, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, makes great appetizer or entrée salads. Use baby spinach leaves or arugula leaves instead of the usual Romaine lettuce and throw in apple or pear slices, some broccoli, raisins, beets and you instantly have a low-fat fall salad. A simple vinegar and olive oil dressing will do just fine. The more color in your salad, the healthier and tastier it is.

3. Butternut Squash Risotto: Risotto is traditionally served after an appetizer, so it's great after you've had pumpkin soup. Like most fall recipes, this dish uses butternut squash, which is as sweet and creamy as pumpkin. Combined with chicken or vegetarian broth, risotto requires more attention than soup or salad, but is equally delicious.

4. Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie: This dessert is a twist on both the traditional pumpkin pie and creamy cheesecake, and it's simply genius. This treat has the sweetness of pumpkin pie and the richness and smoothness of cheesecake. Allrecipes.com and Delish both offer this recipe, but the former suggests garnishing with whipped cream and pecan halves. Try Hershey's chocolate-chip pumpkin cheesecake if you want to take this recipe to another level.

5. Grilled Chicken & Apple Sandwich: While summer is over, there's still time to grill your favorite foods and what better way to transition summer's grilled taste with fall's produce than in a grilled chicken and apple sandwich? Chicken is one of the leanest meats. Instead of stuffing the sandwich with popular condiments, this meal uses vegetables and fruits.

6. Gluten-Free Apple Crisp: You can't think of fall without thinking of apples—apple pie, caramel apples, apple pancakes. And just because you're allergic to gluten or choose not to eat foods that contain gluten doesn't mean you can't enjoy tasty fall treats.

 

Rachael Ray's Easiest Ever Baked Stuffed Apples

Source: FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

4 McIntosh apples

1/2 lemon

4 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup whole-grain cereal with dried fruit (recommended: Mueslix)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trim the tops and scoop out the center and the seeds of each apple and rub the edges of the trimmed fruit with the lemon.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cereal, sugar and walnuts.

Fill the apples with the cereal mixture. Set the apples upright in muffin tins and bake until tender and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to serving dishes, top with ice cream and serve hot.