Simple and healthy fall and winter meal ideas, plus free printable menu pages to make choosing what to eat in this busy season easy and stress-free!
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For weeks now, I feel like I’m been in some sort of meal planning limbo…which is also feeling like a big rut. Summer is over and fall is here (rather abruptly, it seems), and even though I decorated for fall, we’ve started school, gone apple picking, and started eating pumpkin flavored foods, my mind was still struggling to transition to a new season when it came to figuring out what to eat.
Meal planning is a huge part of my weekly routine and how I simplify my otherwise rather busy/crazy life. Since I’ve been in this limbo, though, I have not been following my regular habit of planning lunches and dinners for the week.
THIS CHANGES NOW!
Part of what was holding me back was my plan to create new “master lists” for the season. If you haven’t created or used master lists before to help you plan meals, they can be a total game changer.
Rather than sitting and just trying to magically think of a list of meals that (1) sound appealing, (2) fit your diet, and are (3) mostly seasonally appropriate– this process can be frustrating and overwhelming when you can’t think of anything except Wendy’s or what you ate for dinner last week— a master list provides you with a bank of ideas that have been vetted and are right in front of you on paper (or a screen).
I’ve used master lists for years, and between them and my Kitchen Essentials Checklist, my meal planning and grocery shopping are seriously streamlined. Of course, this doesn’t mean that my process will work perfectly for everyone, but I do think that having some meal lists ready-to-go can be extremely helpful. I’ve created several over the years, so in addition to the new Dinner Queue and Fall & Winter Lunch Menu, I will include the links to past master lists as well.
Fall & Winter Meal Ideas
My Dinner Queue and Lunch Menu pages are already in my bullet journal, washi taped to the pages right before my meal planning page. This makes it really easy to choose meals, but it is also great because it’s everything I need all together in one place– my master lists, my grocery list, and my meal plan. All tucked in my bullet journal that goes with me everywhere.
This is what works for me. You might have another system that you can tuck your Fall & Winter Dinner Queue into, or maybe this will be the first step in adding a little peace and simplicity to your meal planning routine.
The point is to have meal ideas ready to go and to reduce a little decision fatigue from your life!
Fall & Winter Dinner Queue
There are two ways to use the new Fall & Winter Dinner Queue. You can use the blank version and fill in your own meal ideas in each category (freezer meals, low-prep dishes, comfort food, soup/stew/chili, sides, and meals for sharing). This would be a great option if you already have a lot of meal ideas that you really enjoy, or if your family has more dietary restrictions that require you to be more selective.
The second version is already partially filled in with meal ideas from my blog and my cookbook that are perfect for fall and winter. There is room in each category for writing in additional entries and meals your family loves. This is a great option is you want to start with a lot of ready-to-go meal ideas in each category! I’ve linked each of the recipes below in their respective categories so they are easy to find. I would suggest pinning this Fall & Winter Dinner Queue post, or even creating an easy link on the homepage of your phone for even easier access.
Another fun idea that I plan on doing this weekend is to get together with a small group of friends to share and swap favorite seasonal meal ideas. Make a pot of soup and grab some fresh bread, and fill out your Fall & Winter Dinner Queue together! So fun!
Meals on my Dinner Queue:
FROM THE FREEZER ::
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Classic Meaty Lasagna
- Tortellini Skillet Bake
- Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Italian Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs (coming soon)
- Instant Pot Jambalaya
- Instant Pot Hearty Chili
- Instant Pot Maple Pumpkin Chili
- Easy Homemade Stromboli
- Freezer Burritos
- Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes
COMFORT FOOD ::
- Instant Pot Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie
- Homemade Beef Enchiladas
- 30 Minute Skillet Chicken Parmesan
LOW-PREP/QUICK ::
- Sheetpan Sausage & Root Vegetables
- Fried Rice (Skillet or Instant Pot)
- Sheetpan Nachos
- Tastiest Easy Sliders
- Instant Pot Herb Chicken & Rice
- 30 Minute Barbecue Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Mustard Ham & Pesto Sliders
- Homemade Pizza
- Instant Pot Ramen Noodles
- Skillet Chicken Pasta Carbonara
SOUP/STEW/CHILI ::
- Instant Pot Hearty Chili
- Instant Pot Maple Pumpkin Chili
- Instant Pot Spicy Sausage & Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Sausage & Kale Soup
- Instant Pot Comforting Beef Stew
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Soup
SIDES ::
- Instant Pot Collard Greens
- Roasted Butternut Squash & Apples
- Skillet Garlic Green Beans
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Sautéed Garlicky Greens
- Brown Rice (Instant Pot or oven)
- Maple Brussel Sprouts & Bacon
- Rosemary Parmesan Squash Casserole
- Instant Pot Honey Ginger Carrots
- Instant Pot Cinnamon Apples
- Roasted Carrot Fries
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Au Gratin
HOSPITALITY ::
- Taco Night
- London Broil on a Cast Iron Griddle
- Whole Chicken (Instant Pot or oven)
Fall & Winter Lunch Menu
In addition to the Dinner Queue, I created a new lunch menu. After finding my Summer Lunch Menu so helpful all summer long, I knew I wanted to create a fall/winter version with more hot meals and different in-season vegetables.
The lunch menu is divided up into categories like the Dinner Queue– “bowls”, sandwiches/quesadillas, soups, from the freezer, and “more” recipe ideas.
The bowl category is probably the only one that needs a little explanation. The category has three elements: bases, toppings, and sauces. Start with a base (rice, pasta, potatoes, etc), add some toppings (vegetables, leftovers, cheese, cooked meat, etc), and finish with a sauce (ranch, salsa, yogurt, and so on). I’m most excited about this category because of how fun and versatile it is. I’m looking forward to trying a lot of combinations with my kids. The base would be easy to prep ahead of time to make assembling lunch quick and easy!
Just like the Dinner Queue, I linked the recipes below. There are fewer actual recipes in the lunch menu, though, because it’s meant to be a versatile, make-it-your-own menu. I suggest printing a couple of copies– one to put up in the kitchen (maybe on the inside of a cabinet door), one to tuck in your planner– and then also to save this post to get easy access to the recipe links.
LUNCH RECIPES ::
- Easy Tortilla Pizzas
- Sheetpan Nachos
- Garlic Orzo w/ Bacon & Greens
- Instant Pot Ramen Noodles
- Instant Pot Macaroni w/ Bacon & Peas
- 30 Minute Barbecue Chicken
- 10 Easy Homemade Salad Dressings
- 12 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes
LUNCH SOUPS ::
*all of these are Instant Pot recipes
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- (Extra Green) Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Butternut Squash and Apple
- Honey Roasted Carrot
- Loaded Cauliflower
- French Onion
- Chicken Salsa
- Sweet Creamy Gnocchi
- Simple Vegetable Soup (recipe from Naptime Kitchen)
I hope that these new resources help you this fall and winter to simplify something we all have to do– EAT! Let these fall and winter meal ideas simplify your meal planning this season.
Also, if you use these new printables, I’d love to see how you’re putting them to use! Please tag me @thispilgrimlife so I can see. (This is always true for recipes you make too!) And if you find the Dinner Queue or Lunch Menu helpful, share them with your friends so they can put them to use too!
Sharing is caring! Don’t forget to pin and share. Thank you!
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