I am not really quite sure how it is the first of November, and I’m talking to you about November produce, but here we are. You may not think of November as a “fresh produce” month, but there are so many amazing fruits and vegetables that hit the shelves this time of year that they make some fantastic meals.
You are probably aware, but eating seasonally is really good for you. If you can grab local, fresh fruits and veggies they tend to be more nutritionally dense because they don’t travel as far and taste better than items coming from far away. While many farmer’s markets are closed this time of year, take a look at your favorite grocery store as they will often carry local produce picked close by. Yes, they may cost a tiny bit more, but not only does that produce taste better you will be supporting small local farmers.
So grab your pen, paper or open the AnyList app and and let’s make a meal plan for next week that makes good use of all fresh fruit and vegetables that November produce has to offer.
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Top Image: Chicken Mushroom Pasta from The Endless Meal and Roasted Butternut Squash Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions from Half Baked Harvest.
The goddess of all things, Ree Drummond, created this magical Sheet Pan Salad that was featured on FoodNetwork.com. Not only does this gorgeous salad use almost all of the fresh produce November brings, it looks beautiful and cooks all on one sheet pan. The flavor combination is delicious, and the tahini dressing is like putting a diamond necklace on that already perfect black dress. My entire family devoured this salad, and it actually made really great leftovers for my lunch the next day (arugula tends to hold up pretty well!). And if you need to upgrade your sheet pans, these NordicWare sheet pans are my favorite.
Related: 5 sheet pan meals for busy nights
This Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Amy + Jacky is a fall staple around here. One of the ingredients they use that you may find odd is the fish sauce, but if you have some on hand, don’t skip it! This fantastic sauce adds flavor and depth to this soup. Also, they provide a great tip on how to avoid a grainy soup: use fresh grated cheese. Smart. I like to serve this in individual sourdough bread bowls.
Related: 10 easy 5-ingredient soups
On a busy weeknight, nothing is quite as wonderful as warm and cozy bowl of pasta that comes together in less than 45 minutes. The Chicken Mushroom Pasta from The Endless Meal will quickly become a family favorite (even for those people in your family who claim to dislike mushrooms). You can mix and match the type of mushrooms based on what’s local and fresh in your market, and I like to use up those half bags of pasta in my pantry in this recipe.
I absolutely love to cook with pears! This recipe for One-Pan Roasted Chicken and Pears from the My Fitness Pal blog is simple to prep and makes great use of the fresh November produce. I have had this recipe in my life for a few years now, and it a good tried and true one pan meal.
Related: Sheet Pan Breakfast ideas that totally work for dinner as well
Oh I love butternut squash so much. I could eat that beautiful orange gourd every day of my life and be totally happy. I never run out of ways to cook it, but hands down one of my favorite is on a pizza like this Roasted Butternut Squash Prosciutto Pizza with Caramelized Onions from Half Baked Harvest. What’s not to love here? I have been using my bread maker to make pizza dough pretty quickly and easily, but if you are short on time you can usually grab dough in the deli area of your local store, or you can even buy some from your favorite pizzeria.
Follow our Weekly Meal Plan Ideas for Families board on Pinterest @CoolMomEats for even more ideas!
I put these weekly meals plans together based on recipes I am actually cooking for my family, and with you in mind. If you have suggestions, tips or recommendations for recipes or other food bloggers I should check out please comment here, or shoot me a message in our Recipe Rescue group on Facebook. – Lisa
