25 Amazing Fall Appetizer Recipes

Updated by Melissa Rudy on 10/27/16

Appetizers are a great way to start fall gatherings, which are marked by shorter days, cooler nights, and holiday fun. Not only will these starters provide your guests a warm welcome, but it will also gives you a chance to whet their appetite and increase their enjoyment of the full meal that's still to come. With an abundance of versatile and affordable fall produce, your food can impress on the palate without expanding the waist line. 

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Get Warm and Cozy with Fall Soup Recipes

As the weather starts to turn colder, I find myself turning to my dutch oven to prepare my favorite Fall soup recipes. Not only does soup have a pleasant warming effect, but it is uniquely suited to incorporate the bountiful produce from the Autumn harvest. All you really need is a few fresh cut herbs, the spices that already inhabit your cupboard, and whatever proteins and vegetables hanging around your refrigerator and you are just minutes away from an easy one pot meal. Don't forget to re-use your soups as leftovers or freeze them to enjoy in the coming weeks. Check out these top soup recipes from SparkRecipes to get warm, get cozy, and get healthy.  

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Twisted and Wacky Halloween Recipes

Whether you're entertaining ghosts, goblins, or gouls, the food you share this Halloween can be fun, fresh, and flavorful. Edible eyeballs, jack-o-langtern smoothies, Halloween melted brain sauce with rotten fingers are just a few favorites. Enjoy these ten recipes from our twisted and wonderfully wacky SparkPeople members. 

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Fall Harvest Recipes from SparkRecipes

Each year, my local Junior College opens its 365 acre farm, vineyard, and agricultural center for an open house, during which the public can learn, taste and pick fresh produce for $1.50 per pound. Fall harvest is my personal favorite: my family had a blast filling our reusable canvas shopping bags with apples, sugar pumpkins, eggplants, squash, peppers, and basil. Here are some of the top recipes from Chef Meg and other SparkPeople members that I've been using in my own kitchen to enjoy the Fall produce. I look forward to hearing which are your favorites too. 

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Make Healthy Living a Reality in Fall

As I walked my kids to school today, I noticed that the leaves on the trees are beginning to change colors already. It reminds me that cooler temperatures and shorter days are coming and that I need to plan my strategy for exercise and healthy eating during these cooler and stormier months. There are several factors that I must take into consideration: how to get exercise when my kids, my work, the weather, and the flu season keep me from the gym. Our friends at Clorox recently shared some great tips that will help us all make healthy living a reality during the upcoming fall and winter seasons. I incorporated their tips into some of my own. 

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12 Gluten-Free SparkRecipes

In March, I ran a half marathon with a friend whose 6-year-old-son has Celiac Disease. We ran to benefit Team Gluten Free, a fundraising program that provides a simple way for recreational athletes to raise awareness about this disease. Since my friend's son often visits my house, and because several of my family and friends have also gone gluten-free, I took the opportunity to expand my cooking skills to include gluten-free dishes. This was a little bit intimidating at first, but with a little reading and practice I've discovered many simple recipes that are now family favorites. In honor of Celiac Awareness Month (October 2011), I've listed some of SparkRecipes best gluten-free dishes for your enjoyment.  

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13 Bell Pepper Recipes

One of my all time favorite vegetables to cook with is peppers. Peppers are easy to find and affordable. They are also a great source of Folate, Magnesium, Copper, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Potassium. Here are 13 recipes from SparkRecipes that will boost the nutritional value and flavor of your dishes. 

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Aromas of Fall: Cooking with Applesauce

I watched my apple tree intently for months this year, waiting for my fruit to hit peak ripeness. Last weekend, they were finally ready and so I gathered my husband and our kids and we started picking. Harvesting fruit is one of the great pleasures of life, sharing the beauty, variety and tastiness of nature with those you love. Moreover, I enjoy turning my fruit into special healthy treats that family and friends looks forward to each year, such as applesauce. Homemade applesauce is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural sweetness of fall harvest, but without all the sugar of most fruit-based deserts. You can also use applesauce as a healthy substitute for sugar and oil in your baking. Below, you'll find recipes for applesauce, including my own personal recipe. I hope that these recipes fill your kitchen with loved ones who are looking to enjoy the tastes and aromas of fall with you. 

Samantha's Applesauce

Meat Loaf with Applesauce

Whole Wheat Applesauce Pancakes

Applesauce Spice Cake 

Posted 9/28/2011  2:00:00 PM By:   : 27 comments   34,608 views

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4-Ingredient Recipes

Here at SparkPeople.com, we love 4-ingredient recipes! They are simple, cheap and many of these ingredients are probably already in your kitchen cabinets. So, whether you are trying to save time, money, or to simplify your cooking, these recipes will please the pocket book, as well as the palate.  


Date Loaf

Lunchbox Sushi

Chicken Carnival Cones

Pumpkin & Lentil Curry

Posted 9/21/2011  6:00:00 PM By:   : 27 comments   46,777 views

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Skinny Pizza Recipes that are Fat on Flavor and Nutrition

Pull a pizza out of the oven and watch the room fill with smiling faces. Even though pizza can be a calorie buster, there are a some simple techniques to turn that morning-after frown upside down. First, substitute high carbohydrate pizza crust with thin, whole wheat or alternative crust options like no yeast pizza crust or pita breads that also have higher levels of protein and fiber. Second, try making your own sauce to avoid preservatives and hidden ingredients. Third, let your creative side take over, using healthy ingredients, spices or produce from other cultures and cuisines, such as Thai peanut sauce or Mexican spices and vegetarian refried beans. Fourth, pile it high with fresh and colorful vegetables, favoring greens over cheese, and giving preference to lean meats like chicken breast, ground turkey, or turkey sausage. Finally, try the grill instead of the oven. Brush on some olive oil and place it over direct heat. Brush the exposed side with olive oil and flip over. Add your favorite healthy toppings and watch your family and guests line up for a slice.


SparkPeople Cookbook SNEAK PEEK: Meg-herita Pizza

Veggie Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust with Feta and Mozzarella Cheeses

Stepf's Mexican Pizza 

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Heirloom Vegetable Recipes

If you’ve eaten out or thumbed through a cooking magazine in the last few months, chances are that you’ve noticed the growing popularity of heirloom vegetables. A friend recently asked me what heirloom produce is and what makes it different. Heirloom vegetables are typically grown on a family farm by seeds that were saved by a previous harvest. Some heirloom seeds are believed to go back to the 1950s before farming became more commercial, efficient and mass produced. Heirloom varietals are full of concentrated flavor because farmers have retained the best seeds year after year, focusing on quality instead of size and appearance. Heirloom tomatoes, beans, squash, and garlic are some of the most popular varieties. You can use heirloom vegetables in any recipes that call for them. We’ve featured 8 recipes that are easy to prepare and taste great too!
 

Grilled Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza 

Posted 9/8/2011  9:00:00 AM By:   : 27 comments   29,152 views

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Labor-Less Labor Day Recipes

You’ve been working hard all summer, taking care of business, your household, and the never-ending to do list. As the long sunny days of summer begin to vanish, trade in laborious and time-consuming cooking, for fast and easy recipes that are healthy and taste good too. We’ve gathered 11 recipes from SparkRecipes that minimize preparation, while maximizing flavor.
 

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Caps 'n' Herbs

"Fried" Chicken
 
Spicy Turkey Burgers
 
Fast Fix Gaspacho 

Posted 8/31/2011  6:00:00 PM By:   : 10 comments   23,291 views

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