No matter your feelings about winter, everyone always gets on board with fall (I’m officially done with summer, thank you).

Fall flavors, colors, clothes, and general moods are all charming and wonderful. You see, fall is the best since it’s before we realize winter will be here, lasting several months and during which we will eat nothing but cheese and pasta; just me? No shame.

However, before that time comes, let’s embrace October which is filled with amazing natural light in the late-afternoon, my favorite month for outfits, as well as meals that taste perfect on a chilly night. So break out your teddy bear coat, or vest, and get cooking. All of these dinners are excellent for right now.

Baked Chicken Meatballs with Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Recipe available via The Modern Proper.

We couldn’t hold off any longer. It was time for the first pasta of the season. And what better way than to welcome it with this delicious dinner. Chicken meatballs are one of my favorite meatballs so I was thrilled with the bounty created from this meal. We saved enough so I had them for lunch all week!

And if you’re wondering if broccoli pesto is actually good, then here’s your answer: it’s great! We added extra olive oil and salt to enhance the flavor (and make it a little less thick), but followed the instructions otherwise. Basil pesto is the classic; yet I’d happily have this one in its place throughout the colder months when fresh, local basil isn’t as readily available.

Make this meal on Sunday and have leftovers all week! Or, have it again on Monday. ;)

Sweet Potatoes with Chorizo, Mushrooms, and Lime Cream

Recipe from Cook90 by David Tamarkin.

Is there anything more ‘fall’ than roasted sweet potatoes? Nope! And this recipe takes that basic base and makes it a superstar. The sautéed mushrooms and chorizo filling is somehow both decadent and light and is the best savory goodness that I could eat entirely on its own (and is just awesome with the sweet potato). I almost tried to lick the pan, scraping for scraps.

The lime cream cools down the slight spice from the sausage and complements the dish quite well. Obviously we didn’t make this recipe, but I will recommend it to anyone who will listed. Stuffed/topped sweet potatoes are one of the best ways to make your Monday night way above average.

Arugula Salad with Turkey, sweet potatoes, and feta

And when you’re lucky enough to have extra roasted sweet potatoes, then use them to make this salad the next day! While our original plan involved some of these ingredients, we were missing a couple that went with a specific recipe.

So we threw our plan out the window (hey, it happens!) and decided to riff on a fall salad with ingredients we had at home. I know this is common for most people, but we usually are fairly rigid in that we stick to our meal plan. But trust me, I’m fun! I promise.

The resulting dish was ridiculously yummy and I’m already in the mood for it again. Arugula, sweet potatoes, feta, red onion, and ground turkey, which we lightly seasoned, all got tossed together with a homemade mustard vinaigrette. Scrumptious, savory, and a smidge of sweet. The perfect balance for a salad, in my opinion. Too delicious!

Five spice chicken with Carrots and Cabbage

Recipe available via The Modern Proper.

Behold another fabulous fall flavor: sheet pan chicken! The concept of sheet pan dinners is simply stellar for weeknight meals and this one was no exception. The recipe was easy to follow and before we knew it dinner was on the table - with minimal prep!

This meal allowed me to learn that I enjoy roasted cabbage, a statement I never thought I’d say, crispy chicken skin is basically perfect, and well, I’m still not the biggest fan of carrots. I’m sorry. I just don’t love them. Or maybe I don’t love them in this setting. Carrots: you are OK. Not the best.

Sheet pan dinners are excellent during cold months and awesome when the day is busy and you’d like something snazzy for dinner. Expect to see these fairly often around here; they’re a permanent winner of dinner!

As always, please reach out by submitting a comment below, or send us a note, if you have any questions about our meals.

Enjoy!

Mollie and Seth