Our Family’s Favorite Fall Recipes – Southern Curls & Pearls

Fall weather is in full force and I’m all for the cold temperatures because they bring out some delicious fall meals. We love to cook (especially my husband), and these easy fall meals are sure to impress friends and family, and fill your kitchen with some delicious aromas and fall feels. Let’s dive into some of my favorite fall recipes!

If you’re looking for more recipes, we still love these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Chicken Parm Zucchini Boats, and every single recipe from this blog post. All of these are in our rotation as well as the following!

Sheet Pan Hot Honey Mustard Chicken

This recipe has become a staple for our weekly dinners! The girls even love it! The sweet potatoes and Brussels Sprouts give all the fall feelings and the hot honey mustard sauce is soooo good.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 large egg
• 2 cup finely crushed corn flakes
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, halved
• 2 shallots, quartered
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• Cinnamon to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme 

Hot Honey Mustard Sauce

• 4 Tbsp melted salted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp smoke paprika
• 1 – 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the chicken and egg to a bowl and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, mix corn flakes, flour and a pinch of salt. Coat the chicken with the crumb mixture and place on the baking sheet.
3. Toss Brussels Sprouts, shallots, and sweet potatoes in olive oil. Place the vegetables on the same baking sheet. Add salt and pepper (to taste) to the Brussels Sprouts and shallots. Sprinkle cinnamon over sweet potatoes.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Reduce the oven temperature to 400° F.
5. While baking, make the sauce, combining all ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
6. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and return to the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble.
7. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Cheesy Corn Chowder 

Is there anything better than a hot soup on a cold fall day? This Cheesy Corn Chowder is one of my all-time favorite soups and is another family favorite (we originally got the recipe from my mom’s best friend Tracy – thanks Tracy!). It’s so easy to make and tastes as good as a cozy blanket feels. I highly recommend baking some sourdough bread for a side!

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups chicken broth
• 8 celery ribs
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup all purpose flower
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring chicken broth, celery, carrots, potatoes, and onion to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in corn.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add flour, and whisk until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
3. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
4. Add cheese, stirring until blended.
5. Combine the cheese mixture gradually into the vegetable mixture, cooking over medium heat. Stir thoroughly until fully mixed and serve immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is great in every season, but there’s something about the cold fall weather that makes a good pot pie even better. This recipe does involve a lot of cutting, but it’s easier if you use pre-made pie crusts. It fills the house with an amazing aroma while it’s baking. The perfect fall meal staple!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup butter 
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 (9-inch) unbaked pie crusts

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery in a saucepan; add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and drain.
3. While chicken is cooking, melt butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.
4. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Place chicken and vegetables in the bottom pie crust. Pour hot broth mixture over top.
6. Cover with top crust, seal the edges, and cut away any excess dough. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
7. Bake in the oven until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, around 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Spicy Chicken Enchiladas

Chris’s sister made these Spicy Chicken Enchiladas for us after we had Kennedy – and we begged her for the recipe. We make these enchiladas more times than I would like to admit, but they are so delicious. The enchilada sauce is the perfect level of spice and smoothness, and it makes a good portion of food. We oftentimes freeze the leftovers because they reheat really well. (You could also make a big batch and just keep in your freezer for a rainy day!)

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 – 2 tablespoons chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
• 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Chicken Enchilada:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts cooked, shredded
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tomato sauce
• 8 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Saute garlic and oil in a medium pot. Add chipotle chilis, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in another skillet on medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic on low for about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and place on a greased baking dish. Cover enchiladas with the sauce and top with shredded cheese.
5. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with cilantro, and enjoy!

If you have a favorite fall meal, I’d love to hear! We are always looking for new recipes!