Best Fall Recipes for Holiday Hosting
Fall is finally here, and one of my favorite things to do when the weather cools down is host friends and family over for a laid-back weekend get-together.
On Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 pm EST, I'm heading to Instagram Live to share Holiday Hosting, Gifting & Décor Inspiration, along with some of my favorite fall recipes! Some recipes came from friends, some came from this beloved Charleston cookbook, and every one of them is meant to be made with love and passed around at parties. I'm sharing every recipe right here, written out in full, so you can cook along with me or save them for later.
What are the best easy fall recipes for holiday hosting?
These easy fall recipes feature two cookie-style squares from Mrs. Whaley Entertains by Emily Whaley, two scones from my friend Mona's kitchen, my friend Rachel's pepper jelly cheese dip, and a cozy crock pot chicken gnocchi soup from my team member Lindsey that tastes just like the Olive Garden favorite. Here's the whole lineup, with ingredients and directions for each.
What are Anne's Thin Ginger Squares?
Anne's Thin Ginger Squares are crisp, spiced, molasses-rich cookie squares made in two 8-inch pans, and this recipe makes 32 of them. It comes from Mrs. Whaley Entertains by Emily Whaley, and it's a true Charleston classic.
Anne's Thin Ginger Squares Ingredients
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups sugar
1 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs
1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch square baking pans.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a food processor. Add the molasses and eggs and pulse a few times. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt, then pulse until everything is well combined.
Spread the dough into the pans and bake for 20 minutes. While the squares are still hot, cut them into 2-inch squares. Move them to racks to cool, then store in an airtight container.
Makes 32 squares.
Sara Lee's Almond Squares
Sara Lee's Almond Squares are buttery, tender bar cookies topped with a brushing of egg white and a generous layer of slivered almonds, baked low and slow at 275°F for 45 minutes. This recipe also comes from Mrs. Whaley Entertains by Emily Whaley, and it makes 15 squares.
Sara Lee's Almond Squares Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
8 tablespoons margarine, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Dash of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
1 cup slivered almonds
Directions
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter, margarine, and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the egg yolk, flour, salt, and extract.
Press the dough evenly into a 15 x 10-inch baking pan. A pizza roller makes quick work of stiff dough.
Lightly beat the egg white until just foamy and brush it over the dough. Sprinkle the almonds on top and bake for 45 minutes.
Let the pan rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 3½-inch squares. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Makes 15 squares
How do you make Bacon, Cheddar, and Chive Scones?
You make Bacon, Cheddar, and Chive Scones by cutting cold butter into flour, stirring in cream, sharp Cheddar, chopped bacon, and fresh chives, then shaping the dough into a round, cutting it into 8 wedges, and baking at 450°F for 13 to 15 minutes. This is a savory scone recipe from the kitchen of my friend Mona, and it's one worth sharing.
Bacon, Cheddar, and Chive Scones Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup whipping cream, divided
¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup finely chopped cooked bacon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like small peas, then freeze for 5 minutes.
Add ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the cream, along with the Cheddar, bacon, and chives. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto wax paper and pat it into a 7-inch round. It will be crumbly. Cut into 8 wedges and place them 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden.
Makes 8 scones.
How do you make Brown Sugar Pecan Scones?
You make Brown Sugar Pecan Scones the same way as a classic cream scone: cut cold butter into the flour and brown sugar, stir in cream and toasted pecans, shape the dough into 8 wedges, and bake at 450°F for 13 to 15 minutes. This is the sweet scone from the kitchen of my friend Mona, and it's a lovely partner to her savory one.
Brown Sugar Pecan Scones Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup whipping cream, divided
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like small peas, then freeze for 5 minutes.
Add ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the cream, along with the pecans. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto wax paper and pat it into a 7-inch round. It will be crumbly. Cut into 8 wedges and place them 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden.
Makes 8 scones.
How do you make Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip?
You make Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip by mixing shredded sharp Cheddar, cream cheese, onion, and mayonnaise, topping it with crushed Ritz crackers, baking it at 350°F until hot and bubbly, and then spooning pepper jelly, pecans, and bacon bits over the top. This one is from my friend Rachel, and it's the dip everyone asks about.
Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip Ingredients
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup chopped white onion (or 3 to 4 green onions)
½ cup mayonnaise
Ritz crackers, crushed, for the top
½ cup pepper jelly
½ cup roasted chopped pecans
½ cup bacon bits
Plain crackers, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the Cheddar, cream cheese, onion, and mayonnaise until well combined, then spread into a baking dish.
Top with crushed Ritz crackers and bake until hot and bubbly.
Straight out of the oven, spoon the pepper jelly over the top so it melts into the hot dip, then scatter on the pecans and bacon bits.
Serve warm with plain crackers.
Serves a crowd.
How do you make Chicken Gnocchi Soup in the crock pot?
You make Chicken Gnocchi Soup in the crock pot by putting the chicken, vegetables, broth, seasonings, gnocchi, half-and-half, and spinach in the slow cooker, then cooking on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily. This is my team member Lindsey's version of the Olive Garden favorite, and it serves 6.
Lindsey’s Chicken Gnocchi Soup Ingredients
3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ white onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup shredded carrots
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon each dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder
1 teaspoon Kinder's all-purpose seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
16 oz. potato gnocchi (double it if you love gnocchi)
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
Directions
Add everything to the crock pot: chicken, celery, onion, garlic, carrots, butter, broth, seasonings, gnocchi, half-and-half, and spinach. Give it a stir.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
Remove the chicken, shred it, and stir it back into the soup.
Taste, add salt and pepper as needed, and serve.
Serves 6.
Which of these fall recipes should you make first?
Start with the one that fits your week. If you're having people over, make Rachel's pepper jelly cheese dip, because it is made for a crowd. If you need a hands-off supper, put Lindsey's chicken gnocchi soup in the crock pot and let it do the work. And if you're baking for a hostess gift or a neighbor, scones and squares both make a perfect gift.
Hosting does not have to be complicated, y'all. A warm pot of soup, something sweet on a pretty plate, and a dip everybody gathers around is all it takes to make people feel welcome in your home. Save this post, print the recipe cards, and come tell me which one you made first!
I hope to see you on October 6th, 2026, at 6:30 pm EST for our Holiday Hosting Instagram Live Event.
We cannot wait to see you!
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