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Fall Family Dinner Plan with Apples, Squash and Pumpkin

Apples, squash, pumpkin and warm oven dishes give this week its direction. Start with pork chops, make curry and soup, then move to a mushroom tray and chicken-and-biscuit casserole. The carrots and garlic bread are already paired with their dinners, so keep those little jobs in the plan too.

5 dinners · Household of 6 · Dinner only · 2 planned sides

Apple Spice Pork Chops — serving inspiration
Illustrative serving idea.

A five-dinner family schedule for six that uses recognizable fall ingredients across skillet, soup and oven preparations.

Dinner quantities and the combined grocery list are set for 6 people.

Review calendar dates, portions and pantry items before confirming.

Estimating…
Estimating…

5 dinners · 6 people per dinner

Your dinner schedule

Move days to suit your week. Each recipe below is portioned for the same household size.

  1. Day01

    Apple-spice pork chops and honey carrots

    Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

    Apple Spice Pork Chops — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Apple Spice Pork Chops

    • Scaled for 6
    • Prep 10 min
    • Cook 35 min
    • Total 45 min
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 6 each Pork chops
    • 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
    • 1 1/2 pinches Salt
    • 1 1/2 pinches Black pepper
    • 1 1/2 each Onion
    • 3 each Fuji apples
    • 3 tablespoons Salted butter
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons Brown sugar
    • 3/8 tsp Ground cinnamon
    • 3/16 tsp Ground nutmeg
    • 1 1/2 cups Chicken broth
    Full recipe & method
    Honey carrots — serving inspiration

    Side dish

    Honey carrots

    • Scaled for 6
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 1 1/2 lb Carrots
    • 2 1/4 tablespoons Salted butter
    • 2 1/4 tablespoons Honey
    • To taste Salt
    Full recipe & method
  2. Day02

    Butternut squash curry

    Peel and dice the butternut squash into ½-inch pieces.

    Butternut Squash Curry — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Butternut Squash Curry

    • Scaled for 6
    • Prep 15 min
    • Cook 20 min
    • Total 35 min
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 3 lb Butternut squash
    • 1 1/2 each Onion
    • 3 cloves Garlic
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger
    • 3 tablespoons Olive oil
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons Curry powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
    • 22 1/2 oz Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
    • 3/4 cup Water
    • 20 1/4 oz Coconut milk
    • 3 oz Spinach
    • 3/4 tsp Salt
    Full recipe & method
  3. Day03

    Pumpkin-lentil soup and garlic bread

    Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger.

    Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

    • Scaled for 6
    • Prep 10 min
    • Cook 30 min
    • Total 40 min
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 1 each Onion
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • 3 teaspoons Olive oil
    • 3 teaspoons Curry powder
    • 15 oz Pumpkin puree
    • 1 cup Red lentils
    • 6 cups Vegetable broth
    • 1/2 tsp Salt
    Full recipe & method
    Garlic bread — serving inspiration

    Side dish

    Garlic bread

    • Scaled for 6
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 3/4 loaf French bread
    • 3/4 cup Salted butter
    • 3 3/4 cloves Garlic
    • 3 3/8 teaspoons Parsley
    Full recipe & method
  4. Day04

    Mushroom and potato traybake

    Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

    • Scaled for 6
    • Prep 15 min
    • Cook 45 min
    • Total 60 min
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes
    • 3 tablespoons Olive oil · Divided.
    • 3/8 tsp Garlic powder
    • 3/8 tsp Salt
    • 3/4 tsp Black pepper · Freshly cracked; divided.
    • 6 each Portobello mushrooms · Four large caps; wipe clean and remove gills.
    • 4 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
    • 2 1/4 teaspoons Brown sugar
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons Soy sauce
    • 3 cloves Garlic · Minced.
    • 3/8 tsp Dried thyme
    • 1 1/2 bunches Asparagus · Chopped.
    • 4 1/2 oz Grape tomatoes
    • 3/4 each Lemon
    Full recipe & method
  5. Day05

    Chicken and biscuit casserole

    Heat oven to 375°F.

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole — serving inspiration

    Main dinner

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

    • Scaled for 6
    Ingredients for 6 people
    • 1 1/2 lb Ground chicken
    • 4 1/2 tablespoons Salted butter
    • 4 1/2 tablespoons Flour
    • 3 cups Chicken broth
    • 3/4 cup Milk
    • 3 cups Mixed vegetables
    • 3/4 each Onion
    • 12 each Biscuits
    • 3/4 cup Cheddar
    Full recipe & method

One list for the schedule

Combined grocery list

Ingredient requirements for all 5 dinners, adjusted to 6 people per dinner.

Compatible measurements are combined. Different measurement types and amounts that need interpretation stay separate.

Check your pantry before shopping. These are ingredient amounts used by the plan; package sizes and what you already own can change what you need to buy.

Bread & bakery

  • 0.75 loaves French bread

    Garlic bread

Dairy & eggs

  • 0.75 cups Cheddar

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 20.25 oz Coconut milk

    Butternut Squash Curry

  • 0.75 cups Milk

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 21.75 tbsp Salted butter

    4 uses · Apple Spice Pork Chops · Honey carrots · Garlic bread · Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Meat & seafood

  • 1.5 lb Ground chicken

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 6 each Pork chops

    Apple Spice Pork Chops

Pantry & other

  • 4.5 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 12 each Biscuits

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 1.5 pinch + 0.75 tsp Black pepper

    2 uses · Apple Spice Pork Chops · One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 2.25 tbsp Brown sugar

    2 uses · Apple Spice Pork Chops · One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 4.5 cups Chicken broth

    2 uses · Apple Spice Pork Chops · Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 1.5 tsp Cumin

    Butternut Squash Curry

  • 2.5 tbsp Curry powder

    2 uses · Butternut Squash Curry · Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

  • 0.375 tsp Dried thyme

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 4.5 tbsp Flour

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 0.375 tsp Garlic powder

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 0.375 tsp Ground cinnamon

    Apple Spice Pork Chops

  • 0.1875 tsp Ground nutmeg

    Apple Spice Pork Chops

  • 2.25 tbsp Honey

    Honey carrots

  • 3 cups Mixed vegetables

    Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 7 tbsp Olive oil

    3 uses · Butternut Squash Curry · Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup · One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 15 oz Pumpkin puree

    Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

  • 1 cup Red lentils

    Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

  • 1.5 pinch + 1.625 tsp + To taste Salt

    5 uses · Apple Spice Pork Chops · Honey carrots · Butternut Squash Curry · Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup · One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 1.5 tbsp Soy sauce

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 6 cups Vegetable broth

    Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

  • 3 tbsp Vegetable oil

    Apple Spice Pork Chops

  • 0.75 cups Water

    Butternut Squash Curry

Produce

  • 1.5 bunch Asparagus

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 3 lb Butternut squash

    Butternut Squash Curry

  • 1.5 lb Carrots

    Honey carrots

  • 22.5 oz Fire-roasted diced tomatoes

    Butternut Squash Curry

  • 3 each Fuji apples

    Apple Spice Pork Chops

  • 11.75 cloves Garlic

    4 uses · Butternut Squash Curry · Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup · Garlic bread · One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 1.833333 tbsp Ginger

    2 uses · Butternut Squash Curry · Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup

  • 4.5 oz Grape tomatoes

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 0.75 each Lemon

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 4.75 each Onion

    4 uses · Apple Spice Pork Chops · Butternut Squash Curry · Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup · Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

  • 3.375 tsp Parsley

    Garlic bread

  • 6 each Portobello mushrooms

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

  • 3 oz Spinach

    Butternut Squash Curry

  • 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes

    One Pan "Mushroom Steak" Dinner

Review calendar dates, portions and pantry items before confirming.

A little planning before the week begins

Set yourself up for the week

A little look ahead 1

Cut the curry’s squash into the listed half-inch pieces so its simmering method remains appropriate. The soup instead uses pumpkin purée; these ingredients are listed separately.

A little look ahead 2

The mushroom traybake adds its potatoes, mushrooms and remaining vegetables in stages. Save that night for the full roasting sequence.

A little look ahead 3

Check baking-dish capacity before making six portions of the chicken-and-biscuit casserole. Its instructions check both biscuit centers and filling temperature.

A little look ahead 4

Garlic bread is an explicit side on soup night and has its own oven temperature and baking time. It is not a guessed addition to the soup recipe.

The grocery overlap to check first

Onion

Used on day 1, day 2, day 3, day 5. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Garlic

Used on day 2, day 3, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Salted butter

Used on day 1, day 3, day 5. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Brown sugar

Used on day 1, day 4. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Chicken broth

Used on day 1, day 5. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

Curry powder

Used on day 2, day 3. Check the amounts for those dinners together before buying more.

A few details for this menu

Use ingredients across dinners

Onion is used in the pork, curry, soup and casserole. Garlic is shared by the curry, soup, traybake and garlic bread.

Salted butter is used for the pork, carrots, garlic bread and casserole. Keep pumpkin purée, butternut squash and the traybake’s potatoes as their separate grocery foods.

Make the plan work for you

The existing Cheese and spinach stuffed shells can replace the whole pork dinner if you prefer a pasta bake that evening. Use its own filling and sauce ingredients, and keep or remove the carrot side deliberately.

A couple of everyday questions

Can I move the dinners around?

Yes. Put the meals on the days that suit your week, and plan purchases or freezing around those dates. Moving the same dinner keeps its ingredient needs; changing the recipe changes the shopping list.

What does this plan cover?

There is one dinner for each of 5 days, planned for 6 people. Any named sides belong to their listed dinners. Add breakfast, lunch and snacks separately; extra leftover portions are not assumed.

If you save a cooked portion

Keep the storage details close.

Buy or thaw the pork and ground chicken for their scheduled cooking days. A five-day schedule does not mean raw meat should be held for five days.

Cool the pumpkin-lentil soup in shallow portions rather than leaving a large pot to cool slowly.

Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F; the schedule does not extend their storage life.

USDA MyPlate: Make a Plan · USDA FSIS: Refrigeration and Food Safety · USDA FSIS: Chicken from Farm to Table · USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety

Collections featuring recipes from this plan