Three fall vegetables, five cozy family dinners and one less week of wondering what to make.
Instead of planning five completely different dinners and buying a long list of ingredients for each one, this week we’re starting with three versatile fall vegetables: butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and spinach.
We’ll use them across five easy dinners, changing up the proteins, flavors and cooking methods so nothing feels like you’re eating the same meal over and over again.
If you’re new to The Capsule Kitchen, the idea is simple: start with the ingredients, then plan the meals.
Each Market Basket starts with a few versatile ingredients that can work across several different family dinners. From there, we add proteins, grains, sauces and pantry staples to turn them into completely different meals.
You can read more about how the series works in Market Basket No. 1, but for Market Basket No. 2, we’re leaning fully into cozy fall dinners.
I’m not quite at the back-to-school and after-school sports stage with my own family yet, but I know that for so many families, fall can feel like the beginning of a very busy season. School starts, activities pick back up, work gets busy again and somehow the holidays are already around the corner.
Dinner doesn’t need to be one more thing taking up space in your head.
My hope with these Market Baskets is to take away one decision, lighten the mental load a little and help you make the ingredients already sitting in your refrigerator work harder for you.
So grab a sweater, turn on the crockpot and let’s make some cozy fall dinners.
What’s in Fall Market Basket No. 2?
Butternut Squash + Brussels Sprouts + Spinach
These three vegetables give us plenty of ways to make dinners that feel perfect for fall without eating the same meal five nights in a row.
We’re roasting butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, stirring spinach into creamy pasta and soup, pairing our vegetables with chicken, sausage and beef, and bringing in some of my favorite fall flavors like maple, Dijon, balsamic and apple.
Remember, these are our anchor ingredients, not our only ingredients. We’ll add proteins, grains, apples, sauces and pantry staples along the way to turn them into complete meals.
Here’s what we’re making:
- Creamy Butternut Squash Sausage Pasta
- Maple Dijon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
- Fall Harvest Chicken Bowls
- Crockpot Creamy Chicken, Spinach & Butternut Squash Soup
- Balsamic Beef Bowls
Want the full shopping list?
Download the free printable for all five dinners here.
5 Easy Fall Dinners Using Your Market Basket
Dinner No. 1: Creamy Butternut Squash Sausage Pasta
Creamy pasta, Italian sausage and roasted butternut squash. This is exactly the kind of dinner I start craving as soon as the weather cools down.
YOU’LL NEED
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 lb pasta
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 small purple onion, diced (optional)
- 2–3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- Olive oil
- Salt + pepper
MAKE IT
Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. In a large skillet, sauté the purple onion, if using, with the Italian sausage until the sausage is browned and the onion is softened. Add the garlic and spinach and cook until the spinach begins to wilt.
Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan, then add the cooked pasta and roasted butternut squash. Toss everything together until creamy and well combined.
Dinner No. 2: Maple Dijon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
An easy sheet-pan dinner with some of the flavors I love most this time of year. Maple and Dijon give the chicken and vegetables that little something extra without adding much work.
YOU’LL NEED
- 1½–2 lbs chicken thighs
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder
- Salt + pepper
MAKE IT
Whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and seasonings.
Add the chicken, halved Brussels sprouts and butternut squash to a sheet pan and toss with the maple-Dijon mixture.
Roast at 425°F for 30–35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Dinner No. 3: Fall Harvest Chicken Bowls
This one gives us something a little fresher while still using all those cozy fall flavors. The apple and dried cranberries are especially good with the roasted vegetables and maple-Dijon dressing.
YOU’LL NEED
- 1½ lbs chicken breast or thighs
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts
- 1–2 apples
- Cooked rice or quinoa
- Dried cranberries
- Maple-Dijon dressing
- Olive oil
- Salt + pepper
MAKE IT
Toss the butternut squash and halved Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes.
Season and cook the chicken, then slice into bite-size pieces.
Build your bowls with warm rice or quinoa, chicken, roasted vegetables, thinly sliced apple and dried cranberries.
Finish with maple-Dijon dressing.
Dinner No. 4: Crockpot Creamy Chicken, Spinach & Butternut Squash Soup
Because every fall meal plan needs at least one night when the crockpot does most of the work.
YOU’LL NEED
- 1½ lbs chicken breast or thighs
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Salt + pepper
MAKE IT
Add the chicken, butternut squash, broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the crockpot.
Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and the butternut squash is tender.
Remove and shred the chicken, then return it to the crockpot.
Stir in the spinach and heavy cream. Cover and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the soup is warmed through.
Serve with crusty bread for dipping.
And definitely make this one your own. Feel free to add whatever vegetables you already have on hand. Carrots, celery, mushrooms or a little onion would all work well here.
Dinner No. 5: Balsamic Beef Bowls
We’re finishing the five dinners with an easy beef bowl and another way to use those roasted fall vegetables.
YOU’LL NEED
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- Cooked rice
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder
- Salt + pepper
- 1 small purple onion, diced (optional)
MAKE IT
Toss the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion if using, then add the ground beef and cook until browned. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Stir together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard. Add the mixture to the beef and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
Serve the balsamic beef over rice with the roasted vegetables.
Easy Meal Prep for These Fall Dinners
One of the easiest ways to make this Market Basket work for you is to prep your squash and Brussels sprouts at the beginning of the week.
Cube the butternut squash, halve the Brussels sprouts and store them in the refrigerator so they’re ready when you need them. Or if your store already has the squash halved buy that, it’s a real time and energy saver.
You can also make a larger batch of rice to use for both the Fall Harvest Chicken Bowls and Balsamic Beef Bowls.
Nothing complicated. Nothing that requires spending your entire Sunday meal prepping.
Just a few little things that can make getting dinner on the table easier later.
How to Make This Fall Meal Plan Work for Your Family
As always, The Capsule Kitchen is a plan, not a schedule.
Make the crockpot soup on your busiest day. Save the creamy pasta for the night everyone needs some comfort food. Swap rice for quinoa. Leave something out that your family doesn’t like. Add vegetables you need to use up.
And if you end up with leftovers and skip one of the dinners altogether? Even better.
The goal isn’t to perfectly follow a meal plan.
It’s to have a refrigerator full of ingredients with more than one purpose and, hopefully, make that daily what are we having for dinner? question a little easier to answer.
Before you go: Grab the free printable shopping list for Market Basket No. 2 so you have everything you need for the week in one place.
Happy fall cooking. 🤍
Which recipe are you making first? Let me know in the comments!
