If you’ve ever had to make a meal for kids, then you know that they can be incredibly picky. Which can make life difficult if you want to try something new or add more vegetables into their diet. Well, you can thank your lucky stars for the fall season ahead of us.
The seasonal foods of fall are crowd-pleasers. And that’s because it’s the season of comfort food. The kind of food that makes the whole family fall silent in appreciation of the food they’re eating. Plus, there’s something for everyone.
Here are just a few dinner ideas that embrace fall produce to get your creative juices flowing.
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- Mac And Cheese With Squash
Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? And what kids don’t love it? Cheese and pasta, you can’t go wrong. You can easily give it a healthy fall twist by adding squash. Any will do, but butternut squash is particularly good. If you have a picky kid on your hands, blend the roasted squash down and add it into the cheese sauce. It’ll add some sweet fall flavors that take mac and cheese to the next level.
- Pot Roast And Potatoes
This list is all about crowd-pleasers. There’s nothing more crowd-pleasing than quick and easy instant pot potatoes. And pot roasts can be tailored to any taste preferences. No matter how specific they might be. You can go for beef or chicken. Maybe you’ll bump up the veg with other fall favorites like leeks or mushrooms. The world is your oyster with a pot roast and potatoes, so go wild.
- Pan-Fried Gnocchi And Squash
Squash features heavily in all fall favorite foodie lists. And there’s a good reason for it. They’re cheap, tasty, consistent in flavor, and pretty much everyone likes at least one kind of squash. Keep things simple by adding your chosen roasted squash into a beautifully pan-fried batch of buttery gnocchi. And if you don’t want to make your own gnocchi, there are loads of great pre-made options available, and they’re still really tasty.
- Pumpkin Pasta
Yeah, it’s another type of squash. But there’s a great reason for it. Because pumpkins and squash make super pasta sauce bases. And they’re simple to make. Just chop ‘em up, roast ‘em in the oven with extra seasonings of your choice, and blend ‘em down to create the perfect sauce base. From there, you can get really creative. Think about adding some mascarpone, lots of garlic, and parmesan for a hearty fall meal.
- Slow Cooker Chili With Beans
Most people have a go-to chili recipe. But for a seasonally appropriate version, ditch the meat and pack the chili full of beans, grains, and your favorite fall veg. It’ll have pretty much the same taste, so the family will love it. Yet, they’ll be getting all the good produce available during the fall. It’s so good, they won’t even notice the lack of meat.
6. Semi-Homemade Apple Pizza Recipe
Are you having guests during the holidays? What can you throw together in a few minutes but make it seems like you have been working in the kitchen for hours? This semi-homemade apple pizza recipe! This masterpiece is quick and easy and tastes amazing!
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Making The Fall Season Last
One of the greatest things about this time of year is obviously the available produce. But the season can seem fleeting, and you may feel like you don’t have enough time to make the most of everything that’s on offer. But there are ways that you can make that fall feast continue through the winter.
- Preserve whatever is left at the end of the season. Loads of fall veg do store brilliantly, and for a long time, when it’s preserved correctly. And it’s pretty easy to find recipes, tips, and tricks online.
- Stock up on the things that will naturally last a long time. Opt for vegetables like potatoes, onions, garlic, winter squash, and beets. Even if you don’t have a dedicated root cellar, you can still store them in a garage and get months out of them.
- Why not consider making jams and spreads? It may surprise you, but lots of fruit ripens in the fall. And if you want to get the most out of them for the longest time, consider learning how to make jams and spreads. It means you get the fruit for a longer time, and they can easily be added into recipes even as a spread.
- It’s all in the way you store your produce. Invest in zip loc bags, reusable pouches, and containers that have air-tight lids. It’ll help keep your food fresher for longer.
- And don’t forget to utilize the freezer. Plenty of fruit and veg do really well frozen. And it means you lock in all the goodness those foods have to offer.
