Cozy Season Is Ina Season: 13 Ina Garten Recipes That Make Any Fall Night Feel Like a Party

When the weather turns cool, America turns to Ina. Google Trends shows US searches for Ina Garten hit their highest point of the past three months this October, and her butternut squash soup is a breakout search. It makes sense. Ina Garten recipes feel like a warm kitchen, a set table and friends on the way over. Here are the Barefoot Contessa dishes fans come back to every fall, with what makes each one special and a simple way to make it at home. Which one will you cook first..

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup Leads These Ina Garten Recipes

This is the soup that has fans searching right now. In her book Barefoot Contessa Parties!, Ina keeps it simple: she cooks onions slowly with mild curry powder, simmers butternut squash and sweet apples until very soft, purees it all and stirs in apple juice or cider. The apple keeps it bright and the curry adds a gentle warmth. Our easy version below makes a big pot, and it freezes beautifully for busy fall nights.

You will need: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 large yellow onions (chopped), 1 tbsp mild curry powder, 1 large butternut squash (about 3 lb, peeled and cubed), 2 sweet apples like McIntosh (peeled and cubed), 1 cup apple cider, 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Warm the butter and oil in a big pot and cook the onions with the curry powder for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. 2. Add the squash, apples, cider and stock with 1 tsp salt. 3. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes until everything is very tender. 4. Puree until smooth with a blender or stick blender. 5. Thin with a little more stock if needed, season and serve.

Tomato Crostini With Whipped Feta, a Breakout Among Ina Garten Recipes

This one is a breakout search on Google this fall, and one bite explains it. In Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, Ina whips salty feta with cream cheese, olive oil and lemon until fluffy, spreads it on toasts, then piles on tomatoes tossed with garlic, shallots and red wine vinegar. Use the last good cherry tomatoes of the season, just as so many Ina Garten recipes ask for the best ingredients you can find. It is the kind of appetizer from the Ina Garten recipes collection that makes guests ask, did you really make this?

You will need: 6 oz feta (crumbled), 2 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup olive oil (divided), 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 shallot (minced), 2 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 baguette (sliced), fresh basil, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Blend the feta, cream cheese, 1/4 cup oil and the lemon juice in a food processor until fluffy. 2. Toss the tomatoes with the shallot, garlic, vinegar, the rest of the oil, salt and pepper and let sit 10 minutes. 3. Brush the bread with oil and toast at 400 F for 8 to 10 minutes. 4. Spread each toast with whipped feta. 5. Spoon tomatoes on top and finish with basil.

Perfect Roast Chicken, the Classic of All Ina Garten Recipes

Perfect Roast Chicken from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is one of her best-known dishes, and it has helped a lot of home cooks stop being afraid of roasting a whole bird. The cavity gets stuffed with thyme, lemon and garlic, the skin gets brushed with butter, and onions roast underneath for an easy pan gravy. Like many Ina Garten recipes, it is Sunday dinner with almost no work.

You will need: 1 whole chicken (5 to 6 lb), salt and pepper, 1 bunch fresh thyme, 1 lemon (halved), 1 head garlic (halved crosswise), 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 large onion (thickly sliced), 1 cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp flour.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425 F and pat the chicken dry. 2. Season the inside and stuff it with thyme, lemon and garlic. 3. Brush with butter, season the outside and set it on the sliced onions in a roasting pan. 4. Roast about 1 1/2 hours, until the juices run clear and the thigh reads 165 F. 5. Rest 20 minutes, then simmer the pan juices with stock and flour for gravy.

Lemon Chicken Breasts for Busy Weeknights

This recipe from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? lives up to the book title. Skin-on chicken breasts sit in a quick sauce of olive oil, lots of garlic, white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice and oregano, then roast until the skin is golden and the sauce is bubbling. Spoon the pan juices over everything. Do you think weeknight dinners can feel special? This one proves they can.

You will need: 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp minced garlic, 1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp fresh thyme, salt and pepper, 4 boneless skin-on chicken breasts, 1 lemon (cut in wedges).

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. Warm the oil and garlic 1 minute, then add the wine, zest, juice, oregano, thyme and 1 tsp salt and pour into a baking dish. 3. Pat the chicken dry, set it skin side up in the sauce and brush with oil. 4. Season, tuck the lemon wedges around and roast 30 to 40 minutes until it reads 165 F. 5. Rest 5 minutes and serve with the pan sauce.

Chicken Pot Pie With a Flaky Top

Ina’s chicken pot pie is the coziest thing you can pull out of the oven on a cold night. Roasted chicken, carrots, peas and onions go into a creamy sauce, then a flaky pastry lid bakes golden on top. Her trick is roasting bone-in chicken breasts for the filling, which gives far more flavor than boiled chicken. Here is a quick poll: are you (A) team crust, or (B) team filling?

You will need: 2 lb bone-in chicken breasts, 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 stick butter, 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups diced carrots (blanched), 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 sheet puff pastry or pie crust, 1 egg.

How to make it: 1. Rub the chicken with oil, season and roast at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes; cool and dice. 2. Warm the stock. Melt the butter, cook the onion 10 minutes, add the flour and cook 2 minutes. 3. Whisk in the stock and simmer until thick, then add the cream, salt and pepper. 4. Stir in the chicken, carrots, peas and parsley and pour into a baking dish. 5. Top with pastry, cut 3 slits, brush with egg and bake at 375 F for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Tuscan White Bean Soup for Cold Nights

This soup is a whole meal in a bowl. Ina builds it on crispy pancetta, leeks, onions, carrots and celery, then simmers it all with cannellini beans and good stock until thick and silky. A handful of grated Parmesan on top makes it sing. Use canned beans to make it on a weeknight. Is there anything better than a pot of soup on the stove while the leaves fall outside?

You will need: 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 oz pancetta (diced), 2 leeks (chopped, white and light green), 1 onion (chopped), 2 carrots (diced), 2 celery ribs (diced), 4 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tsp fresh rosemary (minced), 3 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans (rinsed), 6 cups chicken stock, Parmesan.

How to make it: 1. Cook the pancetta in the oil until browned. 2. Add the leeks, onion, carrots and celery and cook 10 minutes. 3. Stir in the garlic and rosemary for 1 minute. 4. Add the beans and stock and simmer 30 minutes. 5. Mash some of the beans to thicken, season and serve with Parmesan.

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, the Side Fans Ask for Again

These are not your usual smooth mashed potatoes. Ina leaves the skins on red potatoes and smashes them with half-and-half, butter, sour cream and Parmesan, so every bite is rustic, creamy and a little bit tangy. They are hard to mess up, like most Ina Garten recipes, which makes them perfect for a holiday table full of guests. Are you a skins-on or skins-off mashed potato person?

You will need: 3 lb red potatoes (unpeeled), 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp kosher salt (divided), 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 tsp black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Cover the potatoes with water, add 1 tbsp salt and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until very tender. 2. Warm the half-and-half and butter in a small pan. 3. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot. 4. Smash with a masher, adding the warm cream, sour cream and Parmesan. 5. Season with the rest of the salt and the pepper and serve hot.

Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta

Ina Garten recipes have turned a lot of people into Brussels sprouts fans, and this one from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof is a big reason. The sprouts roast with pancetta until the edges are crispy and browned, then get a drizzle of thick, syrupy balsamic right before serving. Sweet, salty and crunchy all at once. Be honest: did you hate Brussels sprouts as a kid? This might change your mind.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved), 4 oz pancetta (diced), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp thick balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400 F. 2. Toss the sprouts and pancetta with the oil, salt and pepper on a sheet pan. 3. Spread in one layer. 4. Roast 20 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until crisp and browned. 5. Drizzle with the balsamic, toss and serve warm.

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

This might be the recipe that makes you actually crave broccoli. From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, the florets roast with sliced garlic and olive oil until the edges char, then get tossed with lemon zest, lemon juice, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan and fresh basil. It takes a plain vegetable and makes it the star of the plate. Make a big tray, because it shrinks in the oven.

You will need: 4 lb broccoli (cut in large florets), 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced), 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, 2 tbsp basil (sliced).

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425 F. 2. Toss the broccoli with the garlic, oil, salt and pepper on a sheet pan. 3. Roast 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and browned at the edges. 4. Toss right away with the zest, lemon juice, pine nuts and Parmesan. 5. Add the basil and serve hot.

Make-Ahead Roast Turkey, One of the Ina Garten Recipes for a Calm Thanksgiving

This is the Thanksgiving plan from Ina’s book Make It Ahead. Two or three days ahead, the turkey gets rubbed with salt, thyme and lemon zest and rests in the fridge, so the skin dries and the meat seasons all the way through. She roasts it, carves it, then sets the slices on a platter of hot gravy and reheats it all in the oven just before dinner. No last minute carving panic, which makes it one of the smartest Ina Garten recipes for a big crowd.

You will need: 1 turkey (12 to 14 lb), 3 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme, zest of 1 lemon, 1 onion (cut in eighths), 1 lemon (quartered), 8 thyme sprigs, 4 tbsp melted butter, pepper, about 4 cups turkey gravy.

How to make it: 1. Two or three days ahead, mix the salt, thyme and zest and rub it inside and all over the turkey; wrap and refrigerate. 2. The day before, unwrap it and leave it in the fridge to dry. 3. Fill the cavity with onion, lemon and thyme, brush with butter and roast at 325 F until the breast reads 165 F, about 2 to 2 1/4 hours. 4. Rest, then carve. 5. Pour gravy on an ovenproof platter, lay the turkey on top and reheat uncovered 15 to 30 minutes.

Coconut Cupcakes, Among the Oldest Ina Garten Recipes

These come from the very first Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, and fans have been baking them for more than 25 years. The cake has vanilla and almond extract and a big handful of coconut folded in, and the cream cheese frosting gets more coconut pressed on top. They are tall, fluffy and look like little snowballs. Do you love coconut or leave it on the plate? It is one of the great food debates.

You will need: 1 1/2 sticks butter (softened), 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 7 oz sweetened shredded coconut (divided), 8 oz cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 3 cups powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325 F and line a muffin pan. 2. Cream the butter and sugar 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs and extracts. 3. Mix in the dry ingredients and buttermilk in turns, then fold in half the coconut. 4. Fill the cups to the top and bake 25 to 35 minutes; cool completely. 5. Beat the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar, frost and press on the rest of the coconut.

Apple Crostata, the Easiest Fall Dessert

If pie crust scares you, start here. A crostata is a free-form tart: you roll the dough into a rough circle, pile sliced apples with orange zest, sugar and cinnamon in the middle and fold the edges up over the fruit. Ina adds a crumbly butter topping before it bakes. It is supposed to look rustic, so it always looks right, and it is one of the easiest Ina Garten recipes for a beginner. For more cozy ideas this season, see our maple desserts for cozy fall days.

You will need: 1 refrigerated pie crust or homemade dough, 1 1/2 lb McIntosh or Empire apples (peeled and sliced), 1/4 tsp orange zest, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of allspice, 4 tbsp cold butter (diced).

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 450 F and roll the dough into an 11 inch circle on a lined sheet pan. 2. Toss the apples with the orange zest and spread them in the middle, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border. 3. Rub the flour, sugar, salt, spices and butter together into crumbs and sprinkle over the apples. 4. Fold the edges up over the fruit, pleating as you go. 5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Beatty’s Chocolate Cake With a Secret Cup of Coffee

This cake from Barefoot Contessa at Home may be the most loved chocolate cake in the whole collection of Ina Garten recipes. The secret is a cup of hot coffee in the batter. You will not taste coffee; it just makes the chocolate taste deeper. Topped with a rich chocolate buttercream, it is a birthday cake people request year after year.

You will need: 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup good cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup hot brewed coffee, chocolate buttercream frosting.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350 F and butter and line two 8 inch round pans. 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 3. In another bowl mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla, then add to the dry ingredients. 4. Stir in the hot coffee; the batter will be thin. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, cool completely and frost.