15+ Fall-Inspired High-Protein Dinner Recipes For Better Blood Sugar

Enjoy a meal full of fall flavor with these delicious dinner recipes! Each dish features seasonal ingredients like broccoli, sweet potatoes, kale and cabbage. With 15 grams of protein per serving, you’ll feel satisfied and energized. Plus they’re lower in calories, carbs, saturated fats and sodium to align with a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Try options like our Creamy Balsamic Chicken & Mushroom Skillet and Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli for a hearty meal you’ll love.

Creamy Balsamic Chicken & Mushroom Skillet

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle


The sauce in this creamy balsamic chicken and mushroom skillet recipe strikes the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. The shallots, garlic and thyme add aroma and flavor to the dish.

Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco


Whip up this quick and easy teriyaki chicken casserole in just one skillet—it’s the perfect go-to recipe for hectic weeknights that’s sure to satisfy a crowd. It’s ideal for making use of any leftover chicken and rice you have on hand. If you’re short on leftovers, a rotisserie chicken paired with a package of microwaveable brown rice is a good substitute.

Chicken & Cabbage Soup with Pesto

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely


This one-pot chicken and cabbage soup is topped with flavor-boosting store-bought pesto. Big, fiber-rich butter beans add a creamy bite, but you can easily swap them out for cannellini beans or navy beans if you prefer. This soup works well with leftover chicken—simply shred or chop cooked chicken and add it to the soup to reheat once the cabbage is tender.

Chipotle Cauliflower & Turkey Chili

Lean ground turkey and cauliflower soak up the bold flavors in this easy chili. Using cauliflower stems along with the florets adds a meatier texture—just be sure to leave off the tough bottom inch or so of the stem. Make a double batch and eat it for lunch the next day, or freeze the extras for another night. We love the smoky heat from the chipotle peppers, but use less if you prefer a milder chili.

Creamy Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Skillet Casserole

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst


This spinach-packed casserole cooks on the stovetop and bakes in the same skillet for a family-friendly dinner with an easy cleanup. You can use leftover chicken and cook the pasta ahead of time to speed up the prep.

Fall Vegetable & Sausage Stew

Jacob Fox

Hot Italian sausage complements the sweet potatoes and greens, providing just the right amount of heat in this comforting soup. Simmering with rosemary sprigs infuses the soup with aromatic flavor without the extra work required to mince the leaves before cooking them.

Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole

Jacob Fox

This simplified take on cheesy chicken enchiladas only requires one pan for cooking and eliminates the need to stuff and roll corn tortillas. Charring the veggies in a cast-iron skillet adds depth of flavor. Don’t worry if you don’t have one, because you can use any oven-safe skillet instead.

Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

photography / Caitlin bensel, Food Styling / Emily Nabors Hall

The vibrant combo of cheese, cilantro, chili, and lime—inspired by Mexican street corn—makes this salmon sheet-pan dinner burst with flavor.

White Beans & Eggs with Pancetta & Fennel

Pancetta (cured pork belly) is similar in taste and texture to bacon (which is cured and smoked pork belly). You can find it near the bacon at many grocery stores.

Apricot-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Spinach Salad

An easy apricot-mustard sauce both seasons the pork and dresses the salad.

Winter Chicken Parmesan

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless


Warm up to this chicken Parmesan with a winter twist featuring butternut squash! Each cutlet is slathered in butternut squash pasta sauce with the traditional ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese melted on top. If you can’t find butternut squash pasta sauce, marinara is an easy swap. For an extra serving of veggies, the chicken is topped with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms and kale. You can swap out the mushrooms and kale for other cold-weather favorites like Brussels sprouts, cabbage or even broccoli.

Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens

Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it’s great for busy weeknights.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Onion Chutney

If you’d like the chutney in this pork tenderloin recipe to be both sweet and tart, opt for sweet apples like red or golden delicious and sweet onion.

Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.

Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower “Rice” Tabbouleh

Chicken breasts on the grill have a smoky flavor that’s enhanced with an easy spice rub. We chose flat-leaf parsley in this salad because it has a stronger herbal taste than its sometimes-bitter curly counterpart.

Parchment Packet Baked Tuna Steaks & Vegetables with Creamy Dijon-Turmeric Sauce

How to bake fish perfectly? Wrapping the fish and vegetables in parchment packets creates steam that keeps the tuna moist while it cooks. Plus, it’s a fun presentation

Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa

Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.

Chicken Curry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Use convenience ingredients, like cooked chicken (leftover or purchased) and store-bought curry sauce to whip up these easy loaded baked potatoes. We call for cauliflower in this recipe, but feel free to sub in whatever veggies you have on hand for a quick and easy dinner. You can also swap the sweet potatoes for russets.

Kale, Sausage & Pepper Pasta

This healthy sausage and kale pasta recipe cooks in one skillet, so there’s only one pot to clean! Try it with any greens you have in the fridge, such as chard or spinach.

Italian-Inspired Pork with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This simple Italian-inspired recipe combines pork shoulder with aromatic fennel. As the pork cooks, its juices drip down to flavor the sweet potatoes that are nestled in the bottom of the slow cooker. Serve with steamed green beans for a complete meal.

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