5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Early Fall
Anyone else feel like September dinner needs to be a little bit of everything?
We’re not quite ready to give up the fresh, easy dinners of summer, but we’re also very ready to start bringing soup and cozy meals back into the rotation.
This week’s meal plan has a little of both: chicken lettuce wraps, Cajun shrimp and vegetables, chicken quinoa bowls, lasagna soup, and Moroccan chicken skewers with the BEST green sauce.
If you’re making your grocery list for the week, steal one or steal all five.
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1. Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
A famous recipe from Emma’s Mother-in-law, Lori, these are one of those dinners that just feels fresh. The chicken is tossed in a creamy teriyaki-style sauce and then everyone can build their own lettuce wraps with whatever toppings they like.
We love serving these with rice, cucumbers, carrots, edamame, avocado, crispy wontons, or whatever else we have around.
Why we love it: Quick, fresh, customizable, and one our kids will happily eat. Full recipe HERE!
2. Cajun Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner
Our oldest sister made this for a Pirate themed Halloween party one year and it was a huge it! This one comes from Magnolia Table and is such a good all-in-one dinner.
Baby potatoes roast first until they start to brown and soften, then corn and whole garlic heads join the pan. At the end, shrimp gets added and everything is drizzled with a mixture of melted butter, minced garlic, and Old Bay before going back into the oven until the shrimp is cooked through.
Finish it with fresh parsley and lemon wedges and dinner is done.
Why we love it: Shrimp + potatoes + corn + garlicky Old Bay butter, all on one pan. Very little cleanup required.
Where to find it: We love having the Magnolia Table cookbooks if you want to snag one for all of Jo’s amazing recipes. This one specifically is in Volume 2 but we love Volume 1 and Volume 3 just as much. You can also find this recipe on Pinterest! Search “Magnolia Table Cajun Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner” to find it.
3. Chicken Quinoa Bowls
These have become such a good dinner to have in the rotation. You’ve got flavorful chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, fresh toppings, and a creamy aji verde sauce that pulls the whole thing together.
They’re filling without feeling heavy, and everyone can build their bowl exactly how they want it.
Why we love it: Lots of fresh ingredients, plenty of protein, and that green sauce is SO good. Check out the full recipe here!
4. Lasagna Soup from Taste Better from Scratch
Okay, we’re officially bringing soup back. This one was a recommendation from Grace!
This one has everything you love about lasagna, ground beef, Italian sausage, tomato sauce, noodles, spinach, and plenty of cheese, but in a big cozy bowl. The ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan mixture spooned on top is the best part.
Add some crusty bread and you’ve got the kind of dinner that makes it feel like fall even if the weather hasn’t quite gotten the memo yet. Get the full recipe here!
Why we love it: All the comfort of lasagna without having to assemble an entire lasagna.
5. Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Green Sauce from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Always need to throw in a recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe! These chicken skewers are marinated with lemon, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and coriander, then grilled and served with a fresh green sauce made with cilantro, mint, lemon, and a little jalapeño.
Mel recommends serving them with roasted potatoes, rice, cauliflower rice, or fresh fruit, so there are plenty of easy ways to round out dinner. Get the full recipe here!
Why we love it: Tons of flavor, and the bright green sauce makes a simple chicken dinner way more exciting.
This Week’s Dinner Lineup
So there you have it:
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Cajun Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner
- Chicken Quinoa Bowls
- Lasagna Soup
- Moroccan Chicken Skewers
A little fresh, a little cozy, and five fewer dinners to figure out this week.
We’ll keep sharing these weekly meal plans because deciding what to make is half the battle. If you’ve got a dinner your family has been loving lately, send it our way. We’re always looking for something new to add to the rotation.
X.o.
The Threads Between Sisters
