"The tomatoes and sweet corn of August are making way for the Brussels sprouts, winter squash, apples, and cranberries of fall. It’s that time of year when you crave something a little warmer, a bit cozier, and a smidge heavier than you do during the summer months when fresh, light flavors are all the rage. Casseroles, roasted veggies, soups, stews, chilis, tray bakes, braises, and the like all take center stage as the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter. But just as the summer days seem to fly by, time is still of the essence. Between work, errands, maintaining a social life, and soaking up the crisp fall days ahead, you don’t have all day to spend at your stove, so you’re going to need some fall recipes that will work for your schedule.
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Luckily, these fall recipes give you that taste of the season but are easy to prep or make ahead, so you can spend more time watching football, peeping at fall foliage, drinking cider and hot toddies, and eating all things pumpkin.
1. Fall Chickpea Salad
Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this fall chickpea salad, making it an excellent option for busy weeknights. Combining apple, dried cranberries, pecans, red onion, and feta cheese, this recipe packs a lot of flavor while still keeping things light. Just be sure to leave out the avocado until you’re ready to serve to ensure peak freshness.
2. Sheet Pan Hot Honey Mustard Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts
This recipe features oven-fried chicken drenched in a hot honey mustard sauce, served alongside crispy Brussels sprouts for a warm, filling dinner. It takes only 40 minutes from prep to table, delivering a meal that tastes like it took all day to make but is actually perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
3. Sunday Chili
Nothing says fall like a steaming bowl of homemade chili, and this recipe will be your go-to all season long. It is fully loaded with yummy ingredients, has just the right amount of kick, and keeps well in the freezer. You’ll crave it constantly all season.
4. Fall Farmers’ Market Salad
This farmer’s market salad makes the most of fall produce with pomegranates and persimmons, both of which taste delicious alongside candied walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. Add some protein to enjoy it as an entrée, or serve it as a side salad with another dish.
5. Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Crispy Chickpeas
This recipe is warm, comforting, and healthy, thanks to creamy coconut milk, lentils, and lots of veggies. You can make it on the stove or in an Instant Pot in under an hour. Plus, the curry is made all in one pot, meaning fewer dishes to clean once you’re done cooking—who doesn’t love that?
6. Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese
You can’t go wrong with a fresh salad, especially one with a dressing as good as this maple-sweetened apple cider vinaigrette. Requiring only 15 minutes, tossing together this recipe couldn’t be easier.
7. Sweet Potato Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
Sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, and sage—this pasta is basically fall in a dish. It’s also perfect for meal prep, as you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. To reheat, use a large saucepan over medium-low heat, adding additional broth as needed, or warm it up in the microwave until heated through. You can also freeze the pasta in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to three months. Just remember to thaw it in the fridge overnight before eating.
8. Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs
This delicious maple Dijon chicken meal prep recipe is perfect for those trying to get their budget in check this fall, coming in at only $2.45 per meal. Plus, it’s just as tasty as it is affordable.
9. Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
It doesn’t get better than this rich, creamy roasted garlic butternut squash pasta. The flavors are so vibrant, and every bite tastes like fall.
10. Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for ways to add more vegetables to my diet, and this air-fryer recipe creates veggies roasted to perfection in only 15 minutes. Simply chop up butternut squash, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, and pecans, toss them with olive oil and seasonings, and pop them in the air fryer.
11. Chicken Chili Verde
There are two types of people in the fall: those who love classic tomato-based chili and those who prefer a verde version. If you’re in the latter category, this recipe is for you. With plenty of peppers, including poblano and jalapeño, along with cilantro, garlic, cumin, and lime juice, this dish will warm you up on a chilly autumn night.
12. Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies with Balsamic Glaze
Sheet pan meal prep recipes are the ultimate busy-girl hack. They get dinner done quickly, last for multiple meals, and leave you with minimal dirty dishes. This recipe elevates classic chicken and veggies with a mouthwatering sweet and tangy balsamic glaze, finished off with a sprinkling of crumbled bacon.
13. Slow Cooker Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
This slow-cooker recipe is just the kind of meal you crave when the weather starts to cool down. White wine, creamy Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, and orzo come together to create a restaurant-worthy dish. You can also keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
14. Butternut Squash Pasta with Chili Oil, Feta, and Mint
With butternut squash, feta, and mint, this bright pasta is perfect for transitioning from summer to fall. The zestiness of mint, lemon, and feta seamlessly blends summer vibes with the fall flavors of butternut squash and hazelnuts.
15. Roasted Vegetable Bowls With Green Tahini
Vegetables don’t have to be boring, and this recipe proves it. A medley of roasted vegetables with a soft-boiled egg and avocado, all covered in a homemade green tahini dressing, make this meal absolutely incredible.
16. Vegetarian Enchiladas With Butternut Squash and Black Beans
The words “freezer-friendly” are music to my ears in a recipe because I know it will come in handy when the last thing I want to do is cook. This butternut squash filling is a fantastic meatless alternative, tasting just as good as a non-vegetarian option.
17. Fall Mason Jar Salad
Mason jar salads are an easy solution for office lunches or on-the-go dinners when you’re too busy to sit down at the table. This hearty salad features fresh fall vegetables and white beans for protein, finished with a maple cider vinaigrette.
18. Fall Panzanella Salad
Panzanella is basically bread salad, and I can’t think of anything more appetizing. This fall version with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, apple, dried cranberries, pepitas, goat cheese, and kale is perfect for the season. You can add chicken for more protein, but it’s also great as is.
19. Healthy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
You can’t go wrong with sausage and veggies for dinner, especially when the recipes includes colorful vegetables like red and yellow bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, and butternut squash. This fall meal prep recipe ensures you have tasty, healthy dinners to eat all week long.
20. Apple Sage Turkey Meatballs
These turkey meatballs have a hint of sweetness from apples and some classic fall flavor from the sage. Serve them over butternut squash or sweet potato noodles to lean into the autumn vibes, or with rice or traditional spaghetti for a more classic dinner.
21. Healthy Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Avocado Breakfast Burritos
We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but with busy lives, making time for it every morning is easier said than done. Enter: meal prep breakfast burritos. Make them ahead, store them in the freezer, and all you have to do is microwave them.
22. Roasted Harvest Bowls With Apple Cider Dressing
I make bowls for dinner almost every weeknight, and this roasted harvest bowl is the latest addition to my lineup. The combination of maple turmeric chicken, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apple, kale, and apple cider vinaigrette brings peak fall energy and tastes so good.
23. Garlic Butter Chicken Meatball Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
This fall version of spaghetti and meatballs might just become your new go-to weeknight meal. Spaghetti squash is roasted with creamy béchamel sauce, homemade chicken meatballs, and roasted garlic—all made on one sheet pan for super easy clean-up.
24. Sweet Potato Hash Protein Bowl
Protein is all the rage these days, and if you want to hit your protein goals, this sweet potato hash is the perfect way to start your morning. It requires only five ingredients, packs 16 grams of protein, and can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
25. Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts
Often overshadowed by fan-favorite fall produce like pumpkin and apples, pear is an incredible fall fruit. This recipe lets pear shine in all its autumnal glory, and you’ll want to make it again and again.
Lauren Blue, Lifestyle Staff Writer
As a Lifestyle Staff Writer for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives. Her articles span the topics of home decor, delicious recipes, hobbies, travel itineraries—and everything in between. When she isn’t testing the latest TikTok trend, she can be found scouring Instagram for beautiful homes to feature on the site.