My family-friendly meal plan for November is here to help you serve up quick, easy, and healthy meals to everyone in the house. I hope you find lots of inspiration for fall recipes to make, especially as the holidays draw closer and life inevitably speeds up!
Fall Recipes
I chose these recipes with a seasonal perspective and tried to include lots of produce that you’ll be seeing at your stores. And since I know that not every family will like the same things, I tried to offer variety too.
With any of these meals, I recommend offering 1-2 simple sides such as fruit, fresh veggies, crackers, or cheese if you are at all worried that your kids won’t like the main dish.
That way, they have “safe” foods on the table and you don’t need to get up to make a different meal!
Easy Meal Rotation
I do my meal plans using the idea of a rotation where you use general categories every other week to reduce decision fatigue and also give the kids a chance to see foods regularly to help them learn to like the.
Above here is our rough meal plan for this month. Yes, really, THIS IS IT. I have two options for breakfast and dinner that we can choose from—I usually alternate each week—then a set rotation of lunch ideas.
I know this will be a busy/crazy/anxiety filled month with the election and Thanksgiving, so I’m streamlining to help save (some of) my sanity.
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This allows me to the number of decisions I need to make since I’m starting with narrow categories— but still have flexibility, variety, and spontaneity with all of the choices available within a category.
(Because there are a million pasta recipes we could have on pasta night, for example, which is great since my kids generally like pasta!)
TIP: Download a printable pdf of this meal rotation in my Free Resource Library.
November Week 1
Add fruit or an easy vegetable recipe as a side dish to any of these recipes. I usually use the homemade ideas for breakfast, lunch, and snack for more than one day each week (a full batch will likely make plenty) to reduce the overall amount of cooking.
Breakfast Ideas
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Raisins
You can double this recipe to make a larger batch to warm up and serve throughout the week.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Raisins
Healthy Pumpkin Bars Recipe
You can quickly stir together this Healthy Pumpkin Bars recipe (with oatmeal and low added sugar) for breakfast, snack time, or even dessert. The method is so quick and easy and the result is moist and full of pumpkin goodness. Win, win!
Healthy Pumpkin Bars Recipe
Favorite Sweet Potato Baby Food
You can serve this as wedges, a thick mash, or a thinner puree to your baby or toddler. (Adults will love the wedges, too!)
Favorite Sweet Potato Baby Food
Lunch Ideas
Vegetarian Rice and Beans Burritos
You can make and serve these at the same time, or prep them ahead of time and warm up quickly for an easy meal. You can vary the beans in these simple burritos. Serve them with salsa and/or sour cream.
Vegetarian Rice and Beans Burritos
Easy Cheesy Rice (with Veggies!)
This Cheesy Rice recipe has four options to add in veggies and has been a staple of my family's diet for a few years now. It's SO easy and versatile—and stores wonderfully in the fridge. And it's downright delish!
Easy Cheesy Rice (with Veggies!)
Easy Spinach Grilled Cheese
You can also do this with full size spinach if that's what you're able to find. Just discard any stems before starting the recipe.
Easy Spinach Grilled Cheese
Snack Ideas
Easy Veggie Muffins
Serve up veggies in a kid-friendly form with these SO-good Veggie Muffins. They have broccoli, carrots, protein, and kid-approved flavor!
Easy Veggie Muffins
So Easy Sliced Baked Apples
Transform fresh apples into Sliced Baked Apples as a simple snack, side dish, or as baby led weaning apples. The super simple method takes just 5 minutes to prep, and they work as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, and more!
So Easy Sliced Baked Apples
Easy Pear Puree (Plus Easy Storage Tips)
Use ripe pears—they should give just a little to the touch and smell like a pear—for the best flavor in this puree. Some babies may want a few spoonful, some a bowlful. Follow baby’s cues to determine the right amount for them.
Easy Pear Puree (Plus Easy Storage Tips)
Dinner Ideas
Easy Baked Salmon Cakes (Salmon Patties)
These tender Salmon Cakes are easy, flavorful, and an affordable way to serve salmon to the whole family. Try over salad, grains, or tucked into a roll as a salmon burger.
Easy Baked Salmon Cakes (Salmon Patties)
Quick Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage
This easy skillet dinner is super cozy and super versatile. You can use freshly diced butternut squash or precut squash from the store and frozen peas or broccoli according to what you have or prefer. See the Notes for vegetarian options.
Quick Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage
Slow Cooker Beef Burrito Recipe with Veggies
If you want to make these vegetarian, try using 2 cups rinsed and drained black beans or pinto beans instead of the ground beef.
Slow Cooker Beef Burrito Recipe with Veggies
Favorite Vegetarian Lentil Soup
With a quick method and a variety of vegetables packed into the soup, this vegetarian Lentil Soup is a perfect weeknight family dinner—especially when you're craving comfort food.
Favorite Vegetarian Lentil Soup
Easy Cornbread Muffins
Moist and nutritious, these healthy cornmeal muffins are an easy side, quick breakfast, or yummy snack.
Easy Cornbread Muffins
5-Ingredient Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Use your family’s favorite shape and type of pasta in this recipe. (We like elbows or mini shells!)
5-Ingredient Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Favorite Pizza Pockets
Whether you're looking for a healthy make-ahead dinner for the whole family or a new way to serve up veggies, these Homemade Pizza Pockets are a delish option. (If using Homemade Pizza Dough, make it at least an hour before you plan to assemble the pockets. If using store-bought, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so it's not too cold when you try to form the pockets.)
Favorite Pizza Pockets
November Week 2
Try an easy vegetable for lunch to add a simple side to the midday meal. And check out my favorite store bought snacks to round things out.
Breakfast Ideas
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
With just a handful of nutritious ingredients and an easy method, these Healthy Pumpkin Muffins are a perfect treat to share. We love to make and enjoy these each fall for breakfast, snack time, or as a simple side dish for dinner. (This recipe has very little flour—that is not a mistake.)
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Favorite Sweet Potato Pancakes
Plan to have your mashed sweet potato ready to go so these come together quickly. Serve with any pancake topping you prefer—applesauce, maple syrup, nut or seed butter, or yogurt.
Favorite Sweet Potato Pancakes
Healthy Breakfast Bars with Jam
Use Sunbutter to make these nut-free. You can cut these into smaller bars if desired. If you want them a little softer, serve them at room temperature rather than chilled.
Healthy Breakfast Bars with Jam
Lunch Ideas
Pizza Muffins (with Veggies!)
These work well to make ahead and warm up for an easy lunch or dinner. These taste best served warm.
Pizza Muffins (with Veggies!)
Homemade Cauliflower Tots
With quinoa, cauliflower, and cheese, these healthy little tots are a great finger food for kids. This recipe makes about 20 tots, which is 4-6 servings for toddlers—or 1-2 servings for adults.
Homemade Cauliflower Tots
One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
The method on this recipe is streamlined to cut down on dish washing. Add the optional spices for more flavor if you like! Double it to make more.
One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Snack Ideas
Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Try these Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies the next time you're looking for a classic cookie that's a little less sweet and still SO good. They're soft-baked, and so yummy.
Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Favorite No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
With just a few healthy ingredients, you can mix up these No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls in minutes to share with the kids. They pack in protein and whole grains, and are a dessert or snack that stores well for days.
Favorite No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
Easy Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt
Learn how to make the best fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt with all kinds of fruit flavors—and with less sugar and for less money than buying it at the store. Scale this up or down according to how many servings you're planning to make. The directions here are for one small toddler-size serving.
Easy Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt
Dinner Ideas
Healthy Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato
These healthy Chicken Meatballs are flavorful and have a veggie right in the mix. (Plan to cook your sweet potato ahead of time. See the Notes at the end of the recipe for options!)
Healthy Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Potato
Easy Chili Mac (with Extra Veggies)
Cheesy, comforting, and packed with plant-based protein and veggies, this family-friendly Chili Mac is a super yummy dinner for everyone at the table. (Bonus: Leftovers reheat so well!)Y
Easy Chili Mac (with Extra Veggies)
Vegetarian Quesadillas with Beans and Cheese
You can make as few or as many of these easy quesadillas as you like.
Vegetarian Quesadillas with Beans and Cheese
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
With plant-based protein, veggies, and cheese, this soup is a wonderful way to serve up healthy comfort food to the whole family. (Adapted from FamilyFun magazine.)
Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Quick and Easy Sesame Tofu
This simple pan-fried Sesame Tofu is a perfect match for sauteed veggies and rice, or pasta, or even potatoes and roasted veggies!
Quick and Easy Sesame Tofu
November Week 3
You can make a double batch of the meatballs and save them for future easy dinners or lunches—they are so great as leftovers!.
Breakfast Ideas
Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal
You can make this in about 15 minutes on any morning, or make the whole recipe ahead and simply warm right before serving. See the Notes for variations to make it with other types of oats.
Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal
Strawberry Smoothie with Veggies
With simple ingredients, six flavor variations, and one easy method, this Strawberry Smoothie recipe is a nutritious breakfast or snack.
Strawberry Smoothie with Veggies
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
These store well in the fridge so you can make them a day or two ahead if you prefer—or bake and serve warm from the oven. These taste like a cross between baked oatmeal and a traditional pumpkin muffin (they don’t have any flour, so they’re a little denser than a traditional muffin, but still super moist!).
Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
Lunch Ideas
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (5-Ingredient)
With a simple cheese sauce—no standing and stirring over the stove here!—a solid dose of veggies, and a super creamy final result, this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a fast lunch or dinner option for toddlers. (And the rest of the family, too!)
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (5-Ingredient)
Favorite Pizza Rolls (with Veggies)
This Pizza Rolls recipe is packed with nutrition—and even greens!—but the cheese and silly spiral shape makes them much more appealing to toddlers and big kids. Be sure to grease your pan well and roll the dough up fairly tightly around the fillings for best results. (But it's okay if they don't look perfect when they go into the pan!)
Favorite Pizza Rolls (with Veggies)
Fluffy Sweet Potato Muffins
Tender and moist, these muffins are lightly sweetened with warm spices. Plan to prepare the sweet potatoes at least an hour—and up to 3 days—before you start making the muffins to allow time to cool. You can make these plain, with chocolate chips, or with lemon zest.
Fluffy Sweet Potato Muffins
Sweet Potato and Cheese Quesadillas
Serve these quesadillas with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole as desired. You can leave them as simple vegetarian quesadillas or add in a protein like chicken or beans.
Sweet Potato and Cheese Quesadillas
Snack Ideas
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
With a simple stir-together method, these easy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are a perfect fall dessert to share with the kids! They have less sugar than similar cupcakes yet deliver big time on both texture and flavor.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Best Pumpkin Baby Food
This fresh pumpkin puree is mellow and flavorful and can be combined with other purees to make delicious baby food combinations (see the Notes for flavor options). The amount of puree you wind up with will vary according to the size of the pumpkin you start with.
Best Pumpkin Baby Food
Favorite Baby Cookies
You can use any puree that you like the flavor of in this recipe—it works best with purees that are the consistency of mashed banana or mashed sweet potato.
Favorite Baby Cookies
Dinner Ideas
Instant Pot Chana Masala-Style Chickpeas
Try making a super easy Indian food recipe at home with this mild Instant Pot Chana Masala. It's easy to make, freezes beautifully, and packs extra veggies tucked right into the sauce. (This will likely make enough for two meals—I like to freeze the second half for a future week.)
Instant Pot Chana Masala-Style Chickpeas
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Before you start, roll a tortilla and make sure it will fit with your baking dish. I call for small ones, but the size can vary a lot depending on whether you use flour or corn and the brand. This recipe was updated and streamlined in October 2020.
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Extra-Veggie Baby Pasta (with Iron)
Adding beans and extra veggies helps make this easy baby pasta satisfying, nutritious, and yummy. Serve it more or less saucy as you like. (You can even freeze the sauce for easy future meals.)
Extra-Veggie Baby Pasta (with Iron)
Easy Sausage Meatballs
Add more flavor to your next batch of meatballs with this easy Sausage Meatball recipe. (Feel free to freeze half of the batch to use in a future meal.)
Easy Sausage Meatballs
Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets
These baked chicken nuggets have simple ingredients and a pleasantly crispy exterior. Aim to cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so they bake evenly.
Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Easy Roasted Broccoli
This Roasted Broccoli is tender, a little nutty, and a little sweet. Serve this as a simple side to go with dinner. Or make ahead and warm throughout the week to go with lunches.
Easy Roasted Broccoli
Sheet Pan Black Bean Quesadillas
These easy quesadillas can be made with pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, or butternut squash puree. You can also skip it and just go with beans and cheese! I make these as half moon shapes since it helps contain the mess a little when feeding these to kids.
Sheet Pan Black Bean Quesadillas
November Week 4
This is Thanksgiving week, so take all of the shortcuts you need to make the holiday as low stress as possible. So if you don’t want to cook anything else that week, embrace it and ignore these other ideas—do whatever works.
Breakfast Ideas
Easy Bacon and Egg Muffins
I like adding the thyme in these for extra flavor, but it's optional! Be sure to grease your muffin tin well with nonstick spray to help prevent these from sticking to the pan. A nonstick mini muffin pan works best here.
Easy Bacon and Egg Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
These whole grain Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins have delicious pumpkin flavor and just enough chocolate chips. They're moist and a great breakfast or snack to share with the kids.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Sweet Potato Baked Donuts
You can roast the sweet potato up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake these. Or use canned or jarred puree. (Recipe updated Sept 2021.)
Sweet Potato Baked Donuts
Lunch Ideas
Easy Snack Dinner (to Share with the Kids!)
You can do a big family-style platter or individual ones for the kids depending on your preference. Add anything else that sounds appealing and know that the nutrition info will vary according to what you use.
Easy Snack Dinner (to Share with the Kids!)
Easiest Homemade Uncrustables
You can make one sandwich at a time, or make a batch of a few to stash in the freezer. Adjust this as needed for your preference.
Easiest Homemade Uncrustables
Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich (to Share with the Kids)
With just 4 ingredients, including a veggie that blends right in, this Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a yummy kids lunch to share. It packs extra nutrition in the filling, yet only takes a few minutes to make. Such a great easy meal!
Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich (to Share with the Kids)
Snack Ideas
Favorite Pumpkin Smoothie
This creamy Pumpkin Smoothie has delicious pumpkin-pie-like flavor and is a delicious meal component or snack. This makes two toddler-size servings, or a smoothie to share for a parent and toddler. You can freeze any leftovers into a freezer pop!
Favorite Pumpkin Smoothie
Simple Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon
You can use any type of apple you have or like, though generally tart cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Pink Lady) soften nicely without falling apart too quickly.
Simple Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon
Butternut Squash Muffins
These moist muffins are great on their own or topped with butter, honey, or apple butter. Try them for breakfast, snack, or as a side for dinner.
Butternut Squash Muffins
Favorite Cranberry Orange Bread
This delicious Cranberry Orange Bread is flavorful and tender—and it works really well to bake ahead and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve it. We love it topped with cream cheese, but butter and honey also work.
Favorite Cranberry Orange Bread
Dinner Ideas
Here are some easy ideas, though embrace takeout and leftovers this week! My fav Thanksgiving recipes are here.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Use the crock pot to cook up a hearty and nutritious Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with veggies and lots of kid-friendly flavor. It's easy, versatile, and a great freezer meal
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
10-Minute Flatbread Pizza (Just 3 Ingredients!)
For delicious homemade pizza without the work and in a lot less time, Flatbread Pizza to the rescue. Adjust this for allergies as you need.
10-Minute Flatbread Pizza (Just 3 Ingredients!)
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Creamy, easy to make, and so delicious, these Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes are a favorite for holidays and family meals. (I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes in this recipe. They are usually widely available at grocery stores.) Double or triple this recipe as needed.
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Sauteed Shredded Brussel Sprouts
Try these quick Shredded Brussels Sprouts for a simple side for dinner. It's extra flavorful from lemon and Parmesan and is also slightly sweet and pleasantly nutty. Your kids might (they might!) just surprise you by eating it up! (If not? More for you!)
Sauteed Shredded Brussel Sprouts
Easy Snack Dinner (to Share with the Kids!)
You can do a big family-style platter or individual ones for the kids depending on your preference. Add anything else that sounds appealing and know that the nutrition info will vary according to what you use.
Easy Snack Dinner (to Share with the Kids!)
Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
Try my Easy Thanksgiving Recipes including Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Squash Pie, Cornbread Muffins, Sweet Potato Cake, and Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this family meal plan so I can continue improving my content for you and your family, so please comment below to share!
This post was first published November 2020.
I love the meal plan posts. I use them most for breakfast and lunch, and sub in well loved dinner ideas. Tonight we did try the beef and veg burritos. My picky husband liked them, and said he would eat again. My daughter will have to see it a few times, but I’m optimistic. Thanks for what you do!
What would a snack lunch consist of? I thought I seen a post about it but I can’t find it! Also love all your recipes and posts. Thank you for sharing .
You can see some ideas here. Thanks!
Is there a way to print the rotation plan?
I love everything that you post!!! Easy ideas. Also very healthy and affordable!! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad!