Roasted Harvest Soup (+ 3 More Delicious Warm & Healthy Dinner Ideas!)

I try to save warm soupy dinners for winter, but sometimes there are just some cold and rainy days that fall into one of the other three seasons.  And I want a nice, fill-the-tummy, easy to make dinner for my family.  I just prepare some warm bread or buns to go with it, and it’s definitely a hit (and a treat)!

The following recipes are a few of my go-to’s.  They work very well for the times you need to bring something to a potluck, too.  I like to get creative with my soups and casseroles sometimes, and make an ethnic dinner night.  For example, curries will be served with warm naan bread and some chutney, and Mediterranian meals will be served with sliced veggies, tzatziki and hummus… maybe even some pita bread or phyllo pastry.

Anyway, not to get too carried away here… below are some recipe ideas I have chosen to include in this post because they are so simple, so healthy, and can usually be made with ingredients you already have stored in your cupboards.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

• 1 can green beans
• 1/2 can (or 5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup French fried onions

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients. Pour into a casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes. If you’d like, you can top with more french fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes or until lightly toasted.  If you’d like to try a nice holiday green bean casserole, The Spruce has a lovely recipe.

Delicious Pumpkin Chili

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
• 1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice (or beef broth)
• 2 (28 ounce) cans diced or stewed tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions: In a large pot over medium heat, brown the beef; drain. Add the bell pepper and onion and bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the remaning ingredients and stir. Simmer 1 hour.  Wellness Mama has a nice Pumpkin Chili recipe as well.

Easy Squash Casserole

This is a great way to use some of that squash from your garden. Make ahead and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake!

• 6 cups of squash, yellow or zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped, sweet Vidalia onion
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• ½ cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups of dry stuffing mix

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil. Add squash and onions and boil for about 5 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, combine the soup and the sour cream, mixing well. Stir in the carrots. Gently fold in the squash and onions. In another bowl, mix the butter with the stuffing mix until crumbly. Spread half of the stuffing in a 12x7x2 inch baking dish. On top of this, spread the squash mixture from edge to edge and cover with the remaining stuffing. Bake for 25 minutes.

Roasted Fall Harvest Soup

And speaking of squash, the following Roast Harvest Fall Soup recipe is divine.  You can also prep everything in advance either the night before or in the morning, and then let the soup slow cook.  So yummy!