12 Fall Holiday Recipe Ideas to Safely Serve During a Pandemic
We present 12 Fall Holiday recipe ideas that are pandemic safe! Fall is one of our favorite seasons. We love the colors, the change in the weather, the crunch of leaves, and the smell of pumpkin spices and apples! This year is no different in that regard, even during a pandemic and donning a mask, we can experience all those lovely sensations. One thing we can’t do is eat while wearing a mask! But Fall Holiday gatherings usually include delicious food! Meals shared together are even more special during times of uncertainty and challenges. There’s lots to consider with regard to safety and suggested practices which vary by the region in which you live. Even County to County in some cases.
Helpful Safety Tips for Preparing Our 12 Fall Holiday Recipes Ideas During a Pandemic
Safety Considerations
How will you prepare and serve these Fall holiday recipe ideas safely? How many guests should you invite so you can maintain social distancing protocols? Perhaps you don’t need 20 people at your table? Here are some suggestions you can make to your guests to ease their comfort level while celebrating the Holidays in your home:
- Host a small gathering in a large space
- Request that everyone wear a mask at all times except when eating or drinking
- Open all windows throughout your home for greater air circulation
- Consider using disposable tablecloths and dinnerware for easier cleanup and faster sanitation on surfaces
- Utilize a buffet-style presentation and designate one person to plate the servings for each guest.
- Check out the CDC recommendations for Holiday gatherings.

Perhaps Hiring A Personal Chef to Prepare Fall Holiday Recipes is the Safest Bet!
A Personal chef is an expert in making safe, sensational presentations that feature the bounties of Fall Harvest!
As members of the United States Personal Chef Association, (USPCA) our Local Chapter of Chefs are certified in Food Safety Protocols. Having one of our Personal Chefs in your kitchen assures the highest standards are met when it comes to your family’s safety. In fact, the USPCA issues these Covid-19 guidelines to all of its members as early as March of this year.
In addition to following safety standards, our real ability as Personal Chefs lies in the details! A Personal Chef will help you plan the event from beginning to end, create a stunning menu, set up and serve, clean up, and leave cute little boxes of leftovers! A Personal Chef can plan and execute every detail when it comes to hosting smaller-scale plans for holiday dinners, brunches, or desserts where the utmost attention will be paid to every detail. Our Personal Chefs will even take care of those guests with specific dietary restrictions and/or requests.
Or, you may want to order special dishes to add to your own traditions and family recipes. Many of our Personal Chefs have inspired, creative specialties perfect to enhance your table. Be assured you will be in good hands when you trust all or part of your special meal to one of our Personal Chefs! Find help for your special Fall Holiday events and leave the work to us! The best safety benefit of hiring a Personal Chef to prepare your Fall Holiday meals is that they will be the one and only person preparing, handling, and serving the food. They can make your life stress-free as they are highly skilled at safety protocols giving you peace of mind when it comes to creating a very safe and controlled environment for you and your guests.
Relax and Enjoy the Our Fall Holiday Recipes Without Lifting a Finger!
Working with a Personal Chef allows you to relax with your guests, at a comfortable distance of course, and enjoy conversation from across the room while nibbling on delicious appetizers while you anticipate a wonderful Holiday meal that you didn’t have to cook.
All of our talented Bay Area Personal Chefs have the skills required to bring you and your guests an amazing holiday spread that you and your family and friends will always remember!
12 Fall Harvest Recipe Ideas to Complement Your Holiday Spread
Here are recipes prepared by Personal Chefs from our local Bay Area chapter that you might consider preparing for your Holiday spread. Please enjoy these great recipes from our kitchen to your table.
Tap each title to go to the recipe, or scroll down to see its image and recipe link:
- Harvest Apple-Mushroom Puffs (Chef Dawn)
- Deconstructed Skillet French Onion Soup (Chef Joni)
- Cream of Cassava and Shrimp Bahia-style – Bobó de Camarão (Chef Silvana)
- Roasted Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary & Apples (Chef Jhonathan)
- Ginger-Orange Cornish Hens (Chef Dawn)
- Shaved Butternut Squash Salad (Chef Garbo)
- Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing (Chef Johanna)
- Fall Arugula Salad (Chef Marissa)
- Peach Panzanella Salad with California Burrata, Mint & Pistachios (Chef Jhonathan)
- Dutch Apple Pie Cookies (Chef Bourget)
- Basque-Style Cheesecake with Plum Compote (Chef Adela)
- Halwa-Ween Carrot Coconut Truffles (Chef Shoshana Perrey)
#1 Harvest Apple-Mushroom Puffs (Prepared by: Chef Dawn)
Notes on Recipe: This delicious sweet-savory appetizer will tantalize your eyes and palate. Apples and savory mushrooms with melting Gruyere cheese on a crispy pastry are a perfect appetizer for a fall meal. I found this (make-often!) recipe on a card at one of my favorite family-run grocery stores, “Nugget Markets” in northern California. Serve warm for more oooh’s and ahhhh’s.
#2 Skillet French Onion Soup (Prepared by: Chef Joni Sare)
Notes on Recipe: This unforgettable bread-dipping cheesy appetizer is the classic French Onion Soup –without the broth. To elevate your party festivities with your social bubbles, serve this in a communal skillet (similar to a fondue!). A memorable presentation can also be achieved with individual ramekins, each with a ring of pre-made garlic croutons, served with a spoon to ensure getting every tasty morsel.
#3 Fall Harvest Cream of Cassava and Shrimp Bahia-style – Bobó de Camarão (Prepare by: Chef Silvana)
Notes on Recipe: Bobó de Camarão is a classic dish from north-eastern Brazil served at many celebrations. Many households will have it on their holiday table. It’s a creamy stew of shrimp, with its consistency dictated by the purée of cassava root. Please note that this recipe calls for the actual cassava root and not cassava flour.
#4 Fall Holiday Roasted Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary & Apples (Prepared by: Chef Jhonathan)
Notes on Recipe: Gosh, where do I go with this lamb recipe. My best friend loves my lamb recipe. He always asks me to make it for him whenever I throw a party of some sort. When it is perfectly cooked, it is heavenly. My friends always roll their eyes when I make this recipe. Give it a try.
#5 Ginger-Orange Cornish Hens (Prepared by: Chef Dawn)
Notes on Recipe: Classic roasted hens in a sweet and savory ginger glaze with a bit of heat added with cayenne.
#6 Fall Holiday Shaved Butternut Squash Salad (Prepared by: Chef Garbo)
Notes on Recipe: This colorful fall harvest salad with shaved squash, cranberries and toasted pepitas with sweet and sour vinaigrette is a family favorite among Chef Garbo’s clients.
#7 Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing (Prepared by: Chef Johanna)
Notes on Recipe: The earth-tone colors and the varied textures will stand out at the table and on your plate. The flavors will keep you wanting more. It’s versatile, too, it can be served warm, at room temperature or chilled.
#8 Fall Arugula Salad (Prepared by: Chef Marissa)
Notes on Recipe: This delightful light and airy salad feature Pink Lady apples, fennel and arugula.
#9 Peach Panzanella Salad with California Burrata, Mint & Pistachios (Prepared by: Chef Jhonathan)
Notes on Recipe: This is one of my favorite summer salad I like to have for when I have friends and family over for a beautiful summer day bbq. I have made this salad a million times, and my guests and client love this salad and always ask for me to make it. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do.
#10 Dutch Apple Pie Cookies (Prepared by: Chef Bourget)
Notes on Recipe: This pie and cookie combo will become one of your favorite holiday snacks. It’s a clever recipe that uses a muffin tin for baking the cookies. The pie crust is on the bottom, then the filling, and when baked they look –and taste– like a pie cookie. I found this recipe on “Lovely Little Kitchen” when I had an abundance of loquats, which worked wonderfully.
#11 Basque-style Cheesecake with Plum Compote (Prepared by: Chef Adela)
Notes on Recipe: New York City might be the first city coming to mind when you think Cheesecake, but after trying this recipe it might change to San Sebastian in Spain. Nestled in the western region of Basque Country is a gastronomic city –San Sebastian– that pulls in tourists from all over the world year after year. One of their greatest concoctions is a burnt, crustless cheesecake. It is baked in a hot oven so the edges caramelize and puff up. It’s a showstopper of a cheesecake that’s delicious and best of all easy to make!
#12 Halwa-Ween Carrot Coconut Truffles (Prepared by Chef Shoshana Perrey)
Notes on Recipe: A fabulous low-sugar gluten-free vegetarian (or vegan) dessert idea for those on special diets.
Conclusion:
In normal times, preparing Fall Holiday recipes can be daunting. But during a pandemic, it can be a Herculean task, to say the least. If you’d like to take the stress out of hosting a Holiday dinner party where everyone will feel safe, you might consider hiring one of our Personal Chefs to help. If you decide to go it alone, then perhaps you’d like to see one of our amazing Fall Harvest dishes at your celebration. Please enjoy these great recipes from our kitchen to your table.
The USPCA Bay Area Personal Chefs wish you all the best for a warm, and loving holiday season!