Every time I walk on Grounds, I see another leaf turned golden orange, and I feel another crisp breeze in the air. Each sign of fall is another reason for me to whip out an apron and try my hand at some of my mother’s seasonal recipes.
Before I spent my autumns in Charlottesville, I could tell the season had truly begun when my mother prepared her fall menu — a lineup of savory dishes culminating in sweet apple pie. Now that I’m in college, I try to bring these comforting flavors to my life at the University and share this slice of home with friends to get into the fall spirit.
This autumn dinner trio — caper chicken, acorn squash and apple pie — makes for the coziest of October evenings. Start with a quintessential comfort entrée of tender, herbed chicken and a side of sweet and savory squash. Finish out the meal with homemade apple pie. The warm, fruity flavor and flaky crust — especially when the pie is freshly out of the oven — are to die for.
Acorn Squash
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 60 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 acorn squash
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
- Garlic salt to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the squash in half, slicing vertically with a knife from the stem to the bottom of the squash.
- Scoop the seeds out of the squash using a large spoon, leaving a bowl-shaped area in each half.
- Grease a medium baking sheet with butter.
- Place the squash flat on the baking sheet so that the rounded side is facing up.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the rind of the squash is caramelized and the bowls of the squash are filled with melted butter.
- Remove squash from the oven and turn the rounded side down.
- Place ¼ stick of butter in each bowl.
- Sprinkle garlic salt on the butter, approximately ½ teaspoon per squash.
- Bake the squash for an additional 15 minutes with squash “bowls” facing upward.
- Remove from the oven. Serve warm.
Serving the squash right out of the oven will allow it to retain its golden hue and smooth texture. If you prefer a savory touch, sprinkle a dash of salt on top of the squash before digging in.
Back home, my family most often enjoys this dish casually on a weeknight. Though it’s a modest dish, you can easily elevate the squash by serving it on a decorative plate. You’ll have a seemingly elegant side dish that was effortless to make.
Baked Caper Chicken
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 45 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 3-4 oz jar of capers
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Rice or pasta for serving (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat an oven-safe cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat.
- Add butter to the skillet and let it melt.
- Brown the chicken in the hot butter, approximately 3 minutes per side.
- Remove browned chicken from the skillet and let rest on a plate. Leave any remaining crumbs from the chicken in the skillet to retain its flavor.
- Add heavy cream, capers and spices to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes, allowing the mixture to reduce.
- Once the mixture has thickened slightly, place the chicken back in the pan.
- Place the skillet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the cream sauce is slightly browned and the inside of the meat is white.
- Remove the skillet from the oven. Serve the chicken and its sauce, either on its own or over rice or pasta.
To plate the dish, place a chicken breast over your carbohydrate of choice, and spoon the cream sauce over the top. A sprinkle of salt is usually a nice addition, but taste the dish first since the capers add saltiness of their own.
This dish melts in your mouth, and in my experience, it is a consistent crowd-pleaser for large gatherings. The savory combination of cream sauce, herbed chicken and a starchy side is a timeless one that’s sure to win over your guests.
Apple Pie
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 55 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 Pillsbury refrigerated pre-made pie crusts
- 8-9 Jonathan apples peeled, cored and sliced 1 inch thick*
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 pats of butter
- 1 egg white, whisked
*I recommend taking a day trip to Carter Mountain Orchard to pick the apples yourself.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Grease a 9-inch round pie pan. Press one pie crust firmly into the bottom of the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the apple slices, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until the apple slices are evenly coated with the sugar-spice mixture.
- Spoon the apples into the pan and even them out with a spatula. Space out the pats of butter on top of the apples.
- Drape the second pie crust on top of the apple filling. With a fork, press down on the rim of the crust to seal the pie. Trim any excess dough with scissors. Cut three small slits into the top crust for venting.
- Evenly brush the egg white over the pie.
- Place the pie on the middle oven rack. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and wrap the edge of the crust with three-inch wide strips of tin-foil.
- Place the pie back onto the middle oven rack. Bake for an additional 30-40 minutes or until the apple filling bubbles from the slits.
- Let cool, and serve.
*For a custom pie crust, decorate the top of the pie with fall-shaped cutouts, such as pumpkins and leaves, using excess dough.
While the pie is still warm, slice it and serve. My family and I prefer our pie à la mode — with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top — for added sweetness.
To me, this dish is the perfect ode to autumn. It packages the best of the season — warmth, comfort and nostalgia — into a few bites. Judging from my past experiences, the slices of pie will be gone in a matter of minutes. While you’re wolfing down your apple pie, try your best to savor those feelings and flavors.
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