26 Cozy, Low-Carb, One-Pot Fall Dinners

October 19, 2020

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For tonight’s meal, make one of these cozy, low-carb dinner recipes. Each recipe is full of protein and vegetables while having no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Plus, you only need one pot or pan to make these delicious dinners. Recipes like Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Salmon with Asparagus & Mushrooms are seasonal, healthy and perfect for weeknight dinners.

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Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken

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A rich and creamy sauce coats chicken breasts in this quick and comforting dinner. If you don't have chicken cutlets (thin-sliced boneless chicken breast) on hand, you can make your own by slicing two 8-ounce chicken breasts in half horizontally.

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Seared Arctic Char with Bacon-Leek Chard

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A cousin of salmon and trout with a milder flavor, Arctic char-both farmed and wild--is recommended as a Best Choice by Seafood Watch. It's low in mercury and has almost the same amount of omega-3s per serving as salmon. Try it in this healthy fish recipe with dark leafy greens.

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Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

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Chicken and sweet potatoes unite with the delicious taste of rosemary in this easy, one-skillet meal. Because we use parcooked and unseasoned sweet potatoes, the cooking time is much shorter--making this recipe perfect for weeknight cooking.

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Green Shakshuka

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Shakshuka, or eggs poached in an aromatic tomato sauce, is a fast, one-pan breakfast staple in Northern Africa and Israel. This healthy recipe features spinach, herbs and tomatillos. Garnish with a touch of harissa--a fiery chile paste--and dip some toasted whole-grain country bread into the jammy yolks.

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Chicken Piccata

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Tenderized chicken breasts are cooked with lemon slices and served in a mouthwatering sauce of garlic, wine and lemon juice in this chicken piccata dinner.

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Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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These seared pork chops are topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that gets flavored with fresh herbs.

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Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

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Enjoy classic chicken Marsala on a weeknight with this recipe that comes together fast thanks to the help of a multicooker, like the Instant Pot. Serve over cooked brown rice to sop up any of the extra sauce.

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Arctic Char on a Bed of Kale

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Arctic char, related to salmon and trout, is sustainably farmed, making it a “best choice” for the environment. It has a mild flavor and cooks up quickly. We like the taste and texture of lacinato (aka dinosaur) kale in this dish. Serve with mashed potatoes.

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One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

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Try this quick and easy one-skillet version of the Hungarian classic chicken paprikash. Serve the chicken cutlets, mushrooms and creamy sauce over egg noodles with a green salad on the side.

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Salmon with Asparagus & Mushrooms

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Mushrooms and salmon are both naturally high in vitamin D, so you get a double dose in this 45-minute dinner recipe.

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Chicken-Corn Tortilla Soup

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Using bone-in chicken thighs in this soup ensures the meat stays moist over the long cooking time. Not only are chicken thighs inherently juicier than breast meat, but cooking chicken on the bone also helps it stay succulent.

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Pork Medallions with Cranberry-Onion Relish

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Ready in just 30 minutes, this pork tenderloin dish will please the whole family!

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Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

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Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous.

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One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers

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Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.

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Seared Salmon with Mushroom-Shallot Sauce

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To round out this 30-minute salmon recipe, roast some vegetable sides (see associated recipes) in the oven while cooking the salmon and mushroom-shallot sauce on the stove.

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Chicken Florentine

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Classic chicken Florentine--creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets--is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.

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Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Brandied Mushrooms

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Brandied mushrooms go perfectly with a nice, juicy steak. This recipe uses coffee and a touch of balsamic vinegar to intensify the flavoring in the brandied portobello mushrooms.

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Pork Chops with Balsamic Sweet Onions

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Balsamic onions and raisins add a burst of sweet and savory flavor to pan-seared pork chops. Round out this healthy dinner recipe with sweet potatoes and green beans.

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Greek Chicken with Roasted Spring Vegetables & Lemon Vinaigrette

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This Greek-inspired chicken and vegetable sheet-pan meal is bursting with flavor. The chicken is coated in a mayonnaise and bread crumb mixture, roasted alongside asparagus, cremini mushrooms and grape tomatoes and then served with a lemon-feta vinaigrette.

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Low-Carb Beef Stew

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Turnips lend an earthy flavor and a texture that is similar to potatoes--but with fewer carbs--to this rich and flavorful beef stew.

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Maple-Glazed Sausage with Wilted Spinach

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Turkey sausage has fewer calories and less fat than traditional sausage. In this 25-minute recipe, it's coated with maple syrup and served with sage-flavored sweet onions and wilted spinach.

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Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub

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A crust of fresh horseradish, parsley and capers turns delicately crispy on this air-fried salmon. It's an impressive dinner that's also super simple to make. If you can't find fresh horseradish, use a high-quality prepared product. Be sure to drain and squeeze it to remove as much moisture as possible.

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Quick Chicken Braciole

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In this healthy stuffed chicken recipe, pounded chicken breasts are stuffed with a flavorful chard, prosciutto and mozzarella filling and then simmered in store-bought marinara sauce. Serve over whole-wheat fettuccine tossed with parsley or on polenta.

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Creole Chuck Steak Etouffee

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In this steak étouffée recipe, boneless chuck is slowly cooked in a flavorful liquid full of aromatic vegetables, spicy sausage and broth. This beef étouffée recipe calls for a 2 1/2-pound piece of chuck, but if chuck steaks are available at your market, purchase eight 4- to 5-ounce steaks instead of cutting your own from the roast. Serve the steak étouffée with stone-ground grits, polenta or rice, and pass the Tabasco.

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Turkey Ma Po Tofu

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Ma Po Tofu is a traditional Chinese recipe usually made with ground pork. This delicious, healthy version uses ground turkey to cut saturated fat and calories and adds mushrooms for extra veggies. Serve with brown rice and make it extra special with a drizzle of sesame oil just before serving.

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Puerto Rican Fish Stew (Bacalao)

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Bacalao, salted dried codfish, is the defining ingredient in traditional Puerto Rican fish stew, but salt cod requires overnight soaking and several rinses in cool water before it can be used, so we opt for fresh fish in this quick version. Serve with crusty rolls to soak up the juices.

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