15 Easy Fall Dinner Recipes

Fall is finally here—and I couldn’t be more excited. The air is cooler, the leaves are crunchier, and my appetite? Hungrier than ever. There’s just something about this season that makes dinner feel like a ritual.

But let’s be real—after a long day of work, school runs, or just surviving life, nobody wants to spend hours in the kitchen. That’s why I’ve put together this list of 15 Easy Fall Dinner Recipes that are perfect for 2025’s cozy season.

Each recipe is bursting with autumn flavor but won’t leave you elbow-deep in dishes. We’re talking one-pan meals, 30-minute wonders, and hearty bowls that scream sweater weather.

Whether you’re cooking for the whole family or just yourself (hi, solo fall movie night), these meals will warm you up from the inside out—without draining your time or energy. Let’s dive into dinner, shall we?

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🍁 1. One-Pan Maple Dijon Chicken with Roasted Veggies

Description:
Sweet, tangy, and savory, this one-pan wonder screams fall. The maple-Dijon glaze caramelizes beautifully over chicken thighs while root veggies roast to golden perfection.

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 1 red onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. In a small bowl, whisk Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss carrots, sweet potatoes, and onion with half the sauce. Spread on a baking tray.
4. Place chicken thighs on top; brush with remaining sauce.
5. Roast for 35–40 minutes until chicken is golden and veggies are tender.
6. Optional: broil for the last 2 minutes for crispy skin.

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🍂 2. Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta

Description:
This is your comfort pasta, but make it fall. Pumpkin purée blends into a velvety Alfredo sauce with garlic and Parmesan—perfect over fettuccine.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta until al dente; drain and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter and sauté garlic for 1 minute.
3. Stir in pumpkin purée, cream, and nutmeg. Simmer for 3–4 minutes.
4. Add Parmesan; stir until melted and smooth.
5. Toss in cooked pasta and pasta water.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with extra Parmesan.

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🍁 3. Sausage & Apple Skillet with Cabbage

Description:
A rustic, one-pan dinner filled with browned sausage, tender cabbage, and sweet apples. It’s cozy, quick, and just a little unexpected.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1 large apple, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion and cook 2 more minutes.
4. Stir in cabbage and apple slices.
5. Sauté 8–10 minutes until cabbage is wilted and apple is tender.
6. Add apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir and serve hot.

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🍂 4. Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tacos

Description:
These veggie tacos are hearty, smoky, and totally satisfying. Roasted butternut squash and black beans are topped with creamy avocado and lime crema.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• Corn tortillas
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Toss squash with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast for 25 minutes until golden and tender.
4. Warm black beans in a saucepan.
5. Mix Greek yogurt with lime juice to make crema.
6. Fill tortillas with squash, beans, avocado, and a drizzle of crema.

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🍁 5. Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Description:
Use up leftover turkey (or rotisserie chicken) in this creamy, cozy soup packed with wild rice, veggies, and herbs. It tastes like Thanksgiving in a bowl.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a pot, melt butter and sauté onion, carrots, and celery until soft.
2. Add cooked turkey, chicken broth, and thyme.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in wild rice and cream.
5. Cook 5 more minutes until warmed through.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

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🍂 6. Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Description:
Crispy gnocchi, roasted Brussels sprouts, and bacon—all on one sheet pan. It’s a salty, caramelized combo you’ll want on repeat.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 oz) shelf-stable gnocchi
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Grated Parmesan for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. On a baking sheet, toss gnocchi, Brussels sprouts, and bacon with olive oil.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until gnocchi is golden and bacon is crisp.
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

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🍁 7. Harvest Chicken and Quinoa Bowl

Description:
A feel-good bowl loaded with roasted chicken, quinoa, kale, cranberries, and sweet potatoes. Tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette—it’s fall in every bite.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 1 small sweet potato, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• Salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper; roast or grill until cooked through (about 20 minutes).
4. In a bowl, whisk vinaigrette ingredients.
5. Toss quinoa, kale, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and sliced chicken with dressing.
6. Serve warm or at room temp.

🍂 8. Creamy Tuscan White Bean Skillet

Description:
This 20-minute skillet meal is a creamy, dreamy blend of white beans, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach—all simmered in a light Parmesan sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium.
2. Sauté garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add beans and sun-dried tomatoes; cook 2–3 minutes.
4. Stir in broth and cream; simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add spinach and Parmesan; stir until wilted and creamy.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

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🍁 9. Apple Cider Glazed Salmon

Description:
Tender salmon fillets coated in a sticky apple cider glaze with just a touch of Dijon. Light, flavorful, and fancy-looking—without the fuss.

Ingredients:

• 4 salmon fillets
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk cider, mustard, and brown sugar.
2. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half (about 8 minutes).
3. Stir in butter; set glaze aside.
4. Season salmon with salt and pepper.
5. Sear in a skillet, skin-side down first, 4–5 minutes per side.
6. Brush with glaze and cook 1 more minute. Serve hot.

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🍂 10. Chicken Pot Pie Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Description:
All the creamy, cozy flavor of chicken pot pie—served inside a baked sweet potato. It’s comfort food made weeknight-easy.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup cream
• Salt, pepper, thyme

Instructions:

1. Bake sweet potatoes at 400°F (200°C) for 45–50 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan. Sauté onion until soft.
3. Add peas, carrots, chicken, broth, cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–7 minutes.
4. Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise; fluff with fork.
5. Spoon chicken mixture inside and serve warm.

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🍁 11. Fall Veggie Stir-Fry with Ginger Garlic Sauce

Description:
Colorful autumn veggies—like broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers—are tossed in a sweet and savory ginger garlic sauce for a quick and healthy dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet.
3. Add all veggies and stir-fry for 6–8 minutes until crisp-tender.
4. Pour in sauce and toss to coat.
5. Cook 1–2 more minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.

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🍂 12. Turkey & Kale Stuffed Acorn Squash

Description:
Halved acorn squashes become cozy bowls for ground turkey, kale, and herbs. It’s nutritious, filling, and looks like a fall centerpiece.

Ingredients:

• 2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Rub squash halves with oil and roast cut-side down for 35–40 minutes.
2. In a skillet, cook turkey with onion, garlic, sage, salt, and pepper.
3. Add kale; sauté until wilted.
4. Flip roasted squash and fill with turkey mixture.
5. Optional: sprinkle with Parmesan and broil for 2 minutes.

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🍁 13. Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo

Description:
This cozy skillet dish combines creamy orzo pasta, tender broccoli, and melty cheddar. It’s like mac and cheese met risotto—comfort at its finest.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/4 cup milk or cream
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté onion 3 minutes.
2. Add orzo; toast for 1 minute.
3. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer.
4. After 5 minutes, add broccoli.
5. Cook another 5–7 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
6. Stir in cheddar and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

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🍂 14. Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

Description:
Roasted zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers tucked into saucy, cheesy baked ziti. A lighter twist on the classic that still feels indulgent.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz ziti pasta
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 eggplant, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roast veggies tossed in oil for 20 minutes.
2. Cook pasta until al dente; drain.
3. Mix pasta with marinara and roasted veggies.
4. Pour into a baking dish.
5. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan.
6. Bake 20 minutes until bubbly.

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🍁 15. Slow Cooker Harvest Chili

Description:
A dump-and-go chili that’s brimming with ground beef, sweet potatoes, beans, and warm spices. Let the slow cooker do the work while your house smells amazing.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef and onion in a skillet; drain excess fat.
2. Add to slow cooker along with sweet potato, beans, tomatoes, and spices.
3. Stir everything well.
4. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

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