- Looking for some cozy, healthy comfort food to make
during the fall season?
I've got five amazing recipes filled with squash, pumpkin,
sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts coming your way.
They're perfect for curling up on the couch with.
Hey guys, welcome back to my channel.
It's Taylor from the Girl on Floor.
I'm all about showing you how to make easy,
healthy recipes that you can live your best life.
At the risk of sounding basic,
fall has to be my favorite season.
I love all the colors, that cozy chill in the air,
and most of all, I'm so in love with the food,
but fall recipes go way beyond pumpkin.
Today, I'll be showing you how to make five easy,
delicious dinner ideas that make the best use
out of all the in-season produce right now.
We'll be making spinach artichoke spaghetti squash,
butternut squash risotto using the instant pot
and easy Brussels sprouts salad with sausage,
an amazing pumpkin Mac and cheese
and TexMex inspired sweet potatoes.
All of these incredible options are peak fall flavors,
and you'll want to make them all ASAP.
If you're loving this menu,
I've included all of the recipes
in my free seven day meal plan that I have linked to
in the description of this video
so be sure to head on over and download that.
The meal plan also has a couple bonus breakfast
and lunch recipes that are fall themed
so you're just going to love it.
Without further ado,
let's get started making these fall eats.
We're going to start with the spaghetti squash.
First you'll preheat your oven to 425 degrees,
then you'll microwave your squash for two minutes
to make it easier to cut.
Another trick I use is to cut one end ever so slightly
so that you can sit your squash up
and slice it in half likewise.
Make sure you scoop out the seeds,
then you'll place it on a perch midline baking sheet.
Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil,
season with salt and pepper, then bake it for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, you'll drain the liquid
from a can of artichoke hearts
and then chop them up into small pieces.
You'll also wash and finely chop
about three cups of spinach.
Finally, you'll chop up two chicken breasts
into bite sized pieces.
Once you've done that bit of prep,
you can go ahead and add one tablespoon of olive oil
to a large skillet.
When the oil is hot,
saute your chicken seasoning with a bit of salt pepper
for about five to six minutes.
Your lots of chicken will be lightly brown.
Add in one teaspoon of onion powder,
half a teaspoon of chili flakes,
then your artichokes and spinach.
Finally, add in one third of a cup of goat cheese,
stirring well to combine and removing from heat
before the spinach gets overcooked.
Around this time,
your spaghetti squash should also be coming out of the oven
and you'll need to scrape the inside out with a fork
to get all of those nice strands that resemble spaghetti.
Divide your chicken and spinach mixture
among the spaghetti squash halves,
and then top with some grated mozzarella cheese.
Bake another five to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted
and you are good to go ahead and serve and enjoy.
This was one of my favorite ways to cook spaghetti squash.
You can technically stuff it with anything you'd like,
but why not make it just like spinach and artichoke dip
with some extra protein?
Moving on to recipe number two,
which is this delicious butternut squash risotto,
and today we're making it much easier to use an instant pot.
Before the haters come from me,
I know that this is traditionally not how you make risotto,
but it is much easier and hands off.
You basically just dump everything and then press start.
Add two tablespoons of butter
to the bottom of your Instapot,
spreading it around so that nothing sticks
to the bottom of this pot.
Then you'll add in four cloves of minced garlic,
four diced shallots and one tablespoon
of finely chopped fresh Sage.
You'll then want to chop up and add one butternut squash,
or you can buy some pre-chopped
at your local grocery store.
To cut a butternut squash a little more easily,
you can microwave it for a couple of minutes to soften it,
just like we did with the spaghetti squash,
then I recommend chopping off the ends of your squash
so that you can then slice them in half likewise.
From there, it's much easier to peel with the wide peeler.
I've linked to the one I'm using in the description.
Once you've got your squash peeled,
you can scrape out the seeds
and then start chopping it into one inch pieces.
Add your squash to your instant pot,
then add one and three quarters of a cup of chicken broth
and one cup of white rice.
Place the lid on your instant pot,
press the pressure cook button and set to cook on high
for three minutes.
The instant pot will take a few minutes
to come to the pressure and then automatically cook
for the allotted time.
It'll beep when it's done
so you just have to release the pressure
by flicking the valve or pressing down on it,
depending on which instant pot model you have.
The steam will be released
and then all you have to do from here is open the lid,
stir in one cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and enjoy.
When everything is cooking in the instant pot,
I will usually melt one tablespoon of butter
in a small sauce pan over medium high heat,
and then add in eight Sage leaves to make crispy Sage
to add over top of the risotto.
It is seriously mindblowing
and you have to give it a try sometime this fall.
How amazing does this risotto look and it's super easy too.
Moving on to my favorite Brussels sprout salad and sausage.
Start by cutting the ends off of four cuts
of Brussels sprouts and cut them all
as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.
The thinner the better to soak up lots of the dressing.
Then add your Brussels sprouts
along with a quarter cup of dried cranberries,
a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds and a quarter cup
of sliced almonds or walnuts to a large bowl.
Make the dressing in another small bowl,
whisking together one third of a cup of apple cider vinegar,
two tablespoons of sunflower oil, one tablespoon of honey,
one tablespoon of Dijon mustard and half a teaspoon
each of salt and pepper.
Take your dressing, pour it over the salad and toss.
This salad develops better flavors the longer it sits,
so don't be afraid to make it in advance.
After you've made the salad,
you can then take your turkey sausages
and cook them over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes
until they are cooked through.
Slice them up, serve them alongside your salad
and a super easy dinner is served.
You can also take this salad to your next potluck,
or serve as a side of Thanksgiving.
Now for my personal favorite and yes,
I'm a basic white girl for this,
but it is pumpkin Mac and cheese.
It's a one-pot meal that comes together
in half an hour and you basically only need pantry staples
and some cheese.
It's insanely easy.
So what you'll do is cook one pound of mini pasta shells
and boiling water on the stove for about eight minutes
until al dente.
When the pasta is done, drain the water
and then add your cooked pasta back to the pot.
Reduce your heat on the stove to medium and add
two tablespoons of butter to your pasta,
stirring until melted.
Then you'll pour in one can of evaporated milk
and one cup of pumpkin puree, stirring well.
And just a tip,
you can actually freeze leftover pumpkin puree
so get on that if you know
you won't be using any more of it for a while.
Add in one cup of mozzarella or Swiss cheese,
then three quarters of a cup of cheddar cheese,
along with some salt and pepper to taste.
Boom, easiest Mac and cheese ever
and it is so nutritious and healthy.
I know you might be skeptical about the evaporated milk,
but it really is responsible
for that smooth and creamy texture
you love with Mac and cheese so please do give it a chance.
This is Mac and cheese on a whole new level.
Now for our last meal, which is black beans
stuffed sweet potatoes.
I love these so much,
they're a great way to use up leftover veggies
and they're plant-based.
Start with preheating the oven to 425 degrees.
When oven is preheated,
you'll add four sweet potatoes
to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.
In the meantime, you'll prepare your toppings.
I usually add Monterey Jack cheese, a can of black beans,
corn, pico de gallo, guacamole, red onion,
jalapeno pepper and cilantro.
When your potatoes are cooked through and soft,
slice a deep cut lengthwise across your sweet potatoes
and stuff with cheese.
Take another two to three minutes until the cheese is melted
then you can remove from the oven again
and stuff with all the toppings your heart desires.
This is the perfect Friday night meal because it's fun
and kid friendly, plus it helps you eat
whatever else is leftover in the fridge about to go bad.
And there you have it.
All of the amazing eats you need to try this fall.
In addition to the five easy recipes I just showed you,
don't forget that there are even more fall favorites
up on my blog.
I've linked to many more delicious options
all in one blog post for you to take a look at
in the description.
And don't forget to download your free seven day fall menu
in the description below as well.
You'll find all of the written recipes
that I made in this video today
plus a couple more bonus fall recipes
for breakfast and lunch.
If you're a lover of fall recipes,
be sure to give this video a thumbs up,
share it with friends and family and comment below
letting me know which ones you're dying to try first.
Thanks for hanging out in my kitchen today.
I will see you in my next video.