Fall Dinners Fast

As a busy mom, I find it hard to always prepare healthy home-cooked meals for my family. With the cooler weather approaching, comfort meals start to sound appealing. Utilizing kitchen appliances like a slow cooker or Crockpot, Insta-pot or Air Fryer are all great ways to get a warm dinner on the table fast. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for fall that can be prepped quickly and on the table in no time.

Slow Cooker Chili

(Adapted from: www.eatthis.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef, browned and drained
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 2 15-ounce cans low-sodium or no-salt-added kidney beans
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• Dash of hot sauce (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Tip: You could also substitute 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms instead of ground beef for a vegetarian chili.

10 Minute Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

(Recipe and photo obtained from PinchMeGood.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast or thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped zucchini – cut into 1-inch half moons
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers – cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1.5 cups chopped baby Bella mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped purple onion – cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
2. Add the chicken and vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
4. Pour the oil over the veggies and chicken and toss to coat everything in the oil, then pour the spice blend over everything and toss well to coat.
5. Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray and then, working in batches, add half of the chicken and vegetable mixture to the bottom of the air fryer basket in an even layer.
6. Close the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time. Continue until you have cooked all of the chicken and vegetables.
7. Remove and top with dried or fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Explore More

Benefits of Fall Vegetables


8 Ways to Show Off Your Supermarket Savvy

  More articles

Kayla Melanson

Kayla is a Clinical Dietitian and has worked at NKCH since October of 2012. Kayla graduated from the University of Central Missouri with her degree in dietetics and completed her dietetic internship with The Ohio State University. In her free time, Kayla enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband and three young children.