5 Easy Fall Recipes and Dinner Ideas to Keep You Warm this Season

There’s just something about easy fall recipes that makes you want to cook. Maybe it’s the cooling temperatures making the oven bearable again. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s dark at like 3pm. Or, maybe it’s that the pressure of #HotGirlSummer is finally over (bless). So, we’ve got some easy dinner ideas to indulge right at our fingertips. The dropping temps and start of the holiday season always have me leaning towards warm, comforting, stick-to-your-bones type of meals. At the same time, a girl has got to work. On weekdays, there’s zero time for some crazy 3 hour meal. The good news is though, you can have the best of both worlds. Delicious recipes with all of those cozy autumn vibes that fit both your schedule and budget have arrived. Here’s 5 fall recipes we’re going to try out this month:

1.) Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Is there anything cozier or more comforting that yummy, warm bowl soup? Pair it with a fresh slice of french bread and some Kerrygold butter, and we’re goners. This cozy autumn wild rice soup is perfect for a chilly fall evening, and it’ll make a ton of lunch leftovers for the week.

Ingredients:

• Wild Rice: I used and loved 100% wild rice in this recipe, not a wild rice blend.
• Vegetable Stock: Or chicken stock or bone broth; whatever you happen to have on hand.
• Autumn Veggies: Sweet potato, carrots, celery, onion, baby bella mushrooms and garlic.
• The “Bays”: Old Bay seasoning plus a bay leaf, to season our soup.  (Or see ideas below on different seasoning ideas.)
• The Cream Sauce: Made from butter, flour and milk, which we will mix up at the end of the cooking time.  Or see options below for a gluten-free and/or vegan alternative.
• Kale: I also added in lots of fresh kale at the end, or you could sub in baby spinach or collard greens.
• Salt & Pepper: Don’t forget ’em!

Fall recipe via Gimme Some Oven (click over for variations on stove top, crock pot or instant pot):

1. Cook the base of the soup: Whichever cooking method you choose, we will simmer the base soup ingredients (veggies, rice, broth, seasonings) until the rice is cooked and tender.
2. Make your cream sauce: Then during the last 10 minutes that the soup is cooking, prepare your cream sauce in a separate saucepan.  Melt the butter, whisk in the flour, then stir in the milk and cook — stirring frequently so that the bottom does not burn — until thickened.  The sauce should be very thick.  (Or skip this whole step and add in a can of coconut milk instead, which is vegan and also incredibly delicious in this recipe.)
3. Add in the cream sauce and kale: And stir to combine.  Then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. And…
4. Serve warm: Preferably with a nice hunk of crusty bread, or some oyster crackers, or whatever sounds good. 🙂

2.) 30 Minute Skillet Lasagna

Lasagna in 30 minutes? Yes please! Any meal that requires a big glass of red wine and loose sweatpants is A-Okay in my book.

Ingredients:

• ground beef
• garlic powder – divided
• onion powder
• pasta sauce
• bow-tie or farfalle pasta– uncooked
• water
• ricotta cheese
• egg
• fresh chopped spinach
• fresh chopped basil
• Parmesan cheese
• all-purpose flour
• table salt
• black pepper

3.) Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Taco Tuesday is a favorite in our house, but sometimes making the same recipe over and over can feel a little uninspired. This fall take adds in some healthy veggies, yet still manages be super delicious and low calorie. What is this witchcraft?

Ingredients

Instructions

4.) White Chicken Chili

Nothing says fall like football and chili. This white chili recipe with chicken is perfect for busy weeknights. Moreover, it can be made quickly and easily in your instant pot (hallelujah) and is sure to be a family favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can white beans drained
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 15 oz canned corn with juice
• 10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes whole green chilis with juice (here’s a Whole Foods 365 brand if you’re in Amazon)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or bone broth
• 1 tsp chili powder or to taste
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 0.4 oz packet ranch dip or dressing mix*
• 8 oz package cream cheese cut into 6 pieces

Recipe via Natasha’s Kitchen

1. 1. Place all of your ingredients into your instant pot bowl in the following order: 2 chicken breasts, drained black and white beans, chopped onion, corn with juice, tomatoes with juice, and 1/2 cup chicken broth.

   2. Add 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder (use 1/2 tsp to make it kid friendly), 1 tsp cumin, ranch packet. Stir everything to combine, getting some of the juice under the chicken to keep it from scorching.
   3. Cut cream cheese into 6 pieces and place over the top of chili. Cover and seal with lid, switch the valve to the “sealing” position and cook for 20 min on manual high pressure. Once it is done cooking, let it naturally depressurize for 10 min then switch the valve to the “venting” position to completely release steam before opening lid.
   4. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and shred apart with 2 forks. Stir everything together in the pot to melt the cream cheese into the chili then return the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Serve garnished with avocado and cilantro if desired.

5.) Spicy Coconut Milk Herb Turkey

You know we had to include a recipe from a fantastic Nigerian chef. This spicy coconut milk herb turkey sounds to DIE for. If you can’t wait until Thanksgiving to dig into some bird, we recommend this super yummy spicy coconut version:

Ingredients

• 4 Turkey Wings
• 1 Can Coconut Milk
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 Red Onions
• A thumb of Ginger
• A Bunch of Cilantro
• 2 Tsp Black Garlic
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Tsp Curry
• 2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• Salt
• Thyme
• 4 Red Habaneros
• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• Green Onions

Fall recipe idea via All I do Is Cook 

1.) In a blender, add green onions, cilantro, thyme, coconut milk, Brown sugar, red habaneros, curry, 1 red bell pepper, ginger, salt, one red onion, cayenne and 2 garlic cloves. Blend till smooth, then marinate the wings in it and leave to sit.

2.) Now, take your wings out of the marinade brush them off and we are going to brown the skin. Heat up some oil in a pan and sear the skin till it is golden brown.

3.) Pour marinade in an oven-safe pan, place wings in the pan, cover with foil and bake for 70 minutes at 450F. Save the liquid left in the pan after baking.

4.) When that is done, slice 2 garlic cloves, half a thumb of ginger, half a red onion, green onions, half a red bell pepper.

5.) Sauté your garlic and ginger, pour the marinade into the pan and let this cook for 4 minutes. Add your red onion, green onion and a red bell pepper and turn off the heat. Place your wings back in and you are done.

6.) I had this with Basmati rice, and it was a winner.

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