25 Cozy Beef Dinners That Are Perfect for Fall

Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole
Photo: Jason Donnelly

You'll fall head over heels for these delicious, comforting dinners that highlight flavorful ground beef, flank steak and tenderloin—plus tasty fall produce like sweet potatoes, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Whether you're in the mood for a burger and fries or a cozy bowl of shepherd's pie, there's a dinner for you. Recipes like our Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole and Chipotle Meatballs with Mashed Sweet Potatoes will have everyone at the table scraping their plates.

01 of 25

Strip Steaks with Smoky Cilantro Sauce & Roasted Vegetables

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In this healthy dinner recipe, a cast-iron pan does double duty by searing the steaks and roasting the vegetables. Not a fan of cilantro? The sauce is great with parsley instead.

02 of 25

Better-Than-Takeout Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Better-Than-Takeout Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

This healthy take on burgers and fries swaps in chopped mushrooms for some of the meat in the burger patties, to cut back on calories and saturated fat.

03 of 25

Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Topping

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In this easy shepherd's pie recipe, we keep the carbs in check by using creamy mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. The ground beef filling is cooked in the same skillet used for baking the pie, making assembly (and cleanup) a breeze.

04 of 25

Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole

Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole
Jason Donnelly

Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

05 of 25

Chipotle Meatballs with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Chipotle Meatballs with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Jacob Fox

Enjoy homemade meatballs for multiple dinners with this big-batch recipe. Serve them over chunky mashed sweet potatoes tonight, then make this Chipotle Meatball Torta with Roasted Veggies recipe later in the week (or freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months).

06 of 25

Tamarind-Glazed Flank Steak with Carrots & Dates

Tamarind-Glazed Flank Steak with Carrots & Dates
Brie Passano

Flank steak is the perfect candidate for cooking under the broiler. The high heat sears it on the outside while leaving the inside juicy. If you can't find flank, strip steak or hanger steak would work well, too.

07 of 25

30-Minute Mini Meatloaves with Whipped Cauliflower & Green Beans

Mini Meatloaves with Whipped Cauliflower and Green Beans
Carolyn Hodges

Comfort food but make it fast! This recipe incorporates a number of pantry ingredients and shortcuts like frozen cauliflower and steam-in-the-bag green beans to cut way down on prep time. Baking the meatloaf in a muffin tin reduces cook time by more than half and makes portion control easy.

08 of 25

Taco Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

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Revamp traditional shepherd's pie with this Tex-Mex take on the classic comfort food with taco seasoning, black beans and a little jalapeño. The flavor- and veggie-packed filling gets topped with cilantro-lime sweet potatoes for a satisfying and healthy dinner recipe.

09 of 25

Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

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The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.

10 of 25

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

a casserole in a white skillet

Strands of tender squash replace pasta for a more flavorful version of spaghetti pie casserole. Not to mention, spaghetti squash is a low-carb alternative to pasta and saves more than 150 calories per serving compared to a traditional recipe. A sprinkling of nutty fontina cheese melts into a gooey topping.

11 of 25

Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers

cauliflower rice peppers

Slash the calories and carbs of traditional stuffed peppers by swapping white rice for cauliflower "rice." The riced cauliflower is hearty and won't turn to mush during baking. Use an assortment of red, yellow, orange and green peppers to make an appealing presentation.

12 of 25

Montreal-Style Hanger Steak & Sweet Potato Frites

plate of steak and frites

Steak frites, aka steak and fries, is a French bistro staple. In this healthy recipe, we swap roasted sweet potatoes for the fried spuds and make a yogurt-blue cheese sauce instead of compound butter.

13 of 25

No-Noodle Eggplant Lasagna

No-Noodle Eggplant Lasagna

Satisfy your craving for cheesy, indulgent lasagna with this noodle-less version. Roasted eggplant slices stand in for noodles in this low-carb, gluten-free lasagna.

14 of 25

Easy Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie

Easy Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie
Brie Passano

With lots of veggie shortcuts and a cauliflower-mash topping instead of spuds, you can have this comfort-food staple in a fraction of the usual time—and save carbs too! Cook the veggies from frozen; no need to thaw. Swap ground turkey for the beef if you prefer.

15 of 25

Slow-Cooker Borscht

Slow-Cooker Borscht

Borscht is an Eastern European soup that typically features beets as a prominent ingredient, thus the resulting dish has a purple-red color. Our slow-cooker rendition is literally beefed up with brisket and showcases whole-grain rye berries, a source of fiber.

16 of 25

Korean Steak, Kimchi & Cauliflower Rice Bowls

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Using riced cauliflower as the base of these "grain bowls" is an easy (and tasty!) way to up your vegetable servings. If you've ever wondered how to make those jammy eggs served with ramen, here you go! Let them simmer for 3 minutes more if you prefer a hard-set yolk.

17 of 25

Balsamic Steak with Brussels Sprout Slaw & Mustard Mashed Potatoes

Balsamic Steak with Brussels Sprout Slaw & Mustard Mashed Potatoes
Ted Cavanaugh

Brussels sprouts are available already shredded in many supermarkets, but if you want to DIY, use your sharpest knife or a mandoline or pass them through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with the slicing attachment.

18 of 25

Chili-Topped Sweet Potatoes

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Transform ordinary baked potatoes into a full dinner with these chili-topped spuds. In this healthy recipe, we use sweet potatoes for an added nutrient kick. Sprinkle on extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.

19 of 25

Filet Mignon for Two with Sweet Potato Mash

Filet Mignon for Two with Sweet Potato Mash

A small quantity of compound butter, seasoned with garlic and herbs, makes a simple but delicious finish for a tender steak. We have rounded out this colorful healthy meal with roasted broccolini and mashed sweet potato--the perfect impressive yet easy dinner for date night-in.

20 of 25

Lobster-Topped Tenderloin with Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

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You'll feel like you're out at a restaurant when you make this healthy surf-and-turf with lobster, steak, bacon and cheesy Brussels sprouts. Complete the meal with a glass of red wine, such as pinot noir.

21 of 25

Steak Enchilada Bowls with Sweet Potato Rice

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You won't miss the regular rice in these hearty bowls, which feature sweet potato "rice" that's quickly made in your food processor. The simple swap means a welcome burst of color and flavor, plus way more vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. This quick and easy recipe is sure to become a weeknight favorite. It takes about half an hour to prep, but you can make it even faster by swapping in store-bought sweet potato rice.

22 of 25

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

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Looking for a pasta that's lower in carbohydrates? Look no further than spaghetti squash. Mix it with homemade meatballs and lower-sodium pasta sauce, and you will quickly love this healthy swap.

23 of 25

Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Asparagus & Cauliflower Rice

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This elegant steak dinner for two features asparagus drizzled with a bright chimichurri sauce. A bed of cauliflower rice sops all the extra juices, but you could stir the herby sauce into the rice for extra flavor. This dish is easy enough for a weeknight dinner but delicious enough for date night or a dinner party.

24 of 25

Beef Kofta with Bulgur & Kale Salad

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Whole grains take too long to cook, you say? Well, say hello to bulgur, which can be ready in less than 15 minutes. Try this Middle Eastern-inspired healthy dinner recipe topped with plain yogurt or store-bought tzatziki for an extra hit of creamy flavor.

25 of 25

Braised Brisket & Roots

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This braised brisket gets a decidedly wintery feel from the earthy-sweet flavors of carrots, parsnips and rutabaga.

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