6 Frugal and Healthy Meal Ideas to Try This Fall

1. Pumpkin spice baked oatmeal

I added 2 ½ cups of oats and 1 can of pumpkin puree, ½ cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

I also added 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

After everything is well combined, add it to an 8 x 8 Pyrex dish and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Now, you do need to start a little early for this recipe if you're going to have it for breakfast because it takes about an hour to bake.

So make sure you give yourself plenty of time in the morning to prepare this meal or make it the night before. But it is an absolutely easy, perfect, delicious breakfast option for the fall.

2. Pumpkin pasta

Start with one pound of pasta. I bought some that was fall inspired, but any 1 pound package of pasta will do.

While cooking it al dente, add 1 can of pumpkin puree to a medium size saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ a teaspoon of vanilla, 1 ½ cups of milk and ½ cup of cream.

You really can do any kind of mixture, just make sure that you have 2 cups of liquid. You can even add chicken broth or vegetable broth. It's completely up to you.

Stir that well and then add ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Cook all of that together for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

And then, add 1 can of rinsed black beans. Stir those in carefully, so you don’t smoosh them, and allow them to heat through for another 2 or 3 minutes. And then everything is ready to go together.

I was really surprised about how this tasted. The pumpkin flavor is not overpowering. It's just a really good combination of some really delicious fall flavors.

3. Boston butt roast

Start by mixing up the rub. That includes 1 1⁄4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and some salt and pepper. Mix all of that together.

Then, slice up some onions and put them in the bottom of a Dutch oven.

Trim the excess fat off of the pork shoulder then dry it with a paper towel.

Then, rub the pork roast with the rub that you just put together. Coat it nice and evenly then place the pork roast on top of all the onions.

Next, pour 1 1⁄4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of water over top. You can also use vegetable broth.

Cook it in the oven at 300 degrees for several hours, roughly 5 or 6 hours, and it will come out deliciously tender.

4. Taco soup

Start by browning 1 pound of ground beef and to that, add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 tablespoon of cumin, and 1 tablespoon of chili powder.

Next, add 2 large cans of diced tomatoes then ½ a can filled up with water. Then add about 1 pound of frozen corn or 1 can of corn, drained, and 1 can of black beans.

Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

5. Chicken broccoli rice casserole

Start by sauteing some onions in the skillet.

While that is browning, add 2 cups of rice to the Crock Pot and pour in 4 cups of chicken broth. If you don't have chicken broth, you can just use water.

Next, sprinkle it with salt and about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

Then, place frozen chicken tenderloins on top of the rice and pour the sauteed onions on top of the chicken.

Then, pour 4 cups of frozen broccoli on top of the onions, place the lid on, and cook it on low for 6 hours.

This is the simplest Crock Pot meal ever. Adding a little bit of sour cream on top adds a nice tangy flavor to it. That is completely optional, but I think you are going to love having this super quick and easy dinner in your recipe arsenal.

6. Southwest quinoa bowl

Start by browning the ground beef with a chopped onion.

Rinse and drain the quinoa and cook it on medium heat in a pot with 4 cups of beef broth.

Next, add one can of corn, drained, and one can of diced tomatoes, drained, to the ground beef mixture. Then, add in 1 tablespoon of chili powder and 1 drained and rinsed can of black beans.