Favorite Fall Recipes

With how busy this season is, I find that having staple, go-to meals is perfect for making sure that everyone eats as a decent hour and making sure that it’s easy for me!

Here are three hearty and healthy fall meals I keep on constant rotation in our home!

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells: This recipe is from Eat Yourself Skinny and can be found here.

INGREDIENTS

• 20 jumbo pasta shells

For The Filling:

• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
• Pinch salt and pepper

For The Marinara:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp pecorino cheese
• 2 tsp. fresh sage, minced
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup pecorino cheese (for topping at the end)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook pasta shells according to the package instructions, until al dente, and drain. Rinse with cold water and arrange on a baking sheet to cool until ready to stuff.
3. To make the filling, mix together pumpkin, pecorino cheese, egg white, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, salt and pepper in a large bowl until all incorporated and set aside.
4. To make the marinara, drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and saute garlic until fragrant. Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, pumpkin, pecorino cheese, sage, basil, nutmeg and salt mixing well until everything is combined. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to medium/low, cover and allow sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes. This is when you can stuff your shells.
5. Using a pastry bag (or a spoon), fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling.
6. In a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, spread about 3/4ths of the marinara in the bottom of the dish and arrange shells on top. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove foil, sprinkle with additional pecorino cheese and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until hot/bubbly and cheese is melted.
8. Top with remaining sauce, serve and enjoy!

Mini Chicken Pot Pies: This recipe is from One Little Project and can be found here.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped leftover chicken or 1 small fresh chicken breast, fully cooked.
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup mixed frozen vegetables peas, carrots, corn and green beans, defrosted
• 1 package refrigerated biscuit dough

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375F.
• Combine the chicken, mixed vegetables and cream of chicken soup in a medium bowl and stir well.
• Separate each of the biscuits and place them into the compartments of a greased muffin tin.
• Using your fingers, push down on the dough starting in the middle, then working the dough up the sides of each of the muffin compartments, as high as it will go.
• Add the filling to each of the compartments (approximately 2 Tablespoons each).
• Bake at 375F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Notes

You can substitute the refrigerated biscuit dough for refrigerated crescent roll dough if you prefer. Just cut out circles or squares of the dough to put in the muffin tin. Biscuit dough gives it a salty and firm texture. Crescent roll dough will give it a sweeter and softer texture.

Chicken Noodle Casserole:

This recipe is from Kleinworth & Co. and can be found here.

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 2 large chicken breasts- cooked & shredded about 2 cups of shredded chicken- leftovers are great for this or rotisserie chicken
• 1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn - drained
• 1 15 oz can no salt sweet peas - drained
• 1 cup milk
• 1 22.6 oz can cream of chicken condensed soup
• 1 tbsp minced onions
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 1/4 cup bacon bits
• 1/2 cup french dried onions

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Spray 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray- set aside
• Cook noodles to package directions (usually boil for 6-8 minutes) drain & place in a large bowl
• Add in cooked chicken, corn, peas, condensed soup, milk, minced onions, granulated garlic, cheese & bacon bits
• Fold to combine & transfer to prepared baking dish
• Top with french fried onions
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbling & hot throughout
• **Note: per reader feedback I do not advise substituting the egg noodles with another kind, such as elbow macaroni. Those tend to soak up more of the moisture & leave the casserole dry.

Let me know what you think of these recipes and what recipes you keep on hand for the busy fall days!

Pictures are from their respective websites.