12 Fall-Ready Recipes for the Whole Family

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We’ve teamed up with BLACK+DECKER® to share a few of our favorite weeknight recipes for the whole family. Bonus: They come together in a flash thanks to the BLACK+DECKER® kitchen wand™, a cordless kitchen multitool with attachments that can whisk, blend, froth, grind, and more—it’s almost too good to be true.

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From busy mornings to after-school activities, our weeks are jam-packed—especially when things are in full swing come fall. I have three kids, ranging from 4 to 12 years old, and we cook almost every meal at home. I’ve done the math: my husband and I serve 21 meals a week, from big batches of slowly simmered oats every morning, to inventive dips and crudites for school lunches, and on-the-go smoothies between sports practices. And then there are the dinners…so many dinners.

Personally, it’s the planning that I find exhausting. My recommendation is to try a weekly menu that rotates between evergreen favorites—my famous banana bread, family-favorite enchiladas, and my husband’s beloved chicken tikka masala—and new dishes to keep things interesting. It also helps to have multipurpose kitchen tools on hand, like the Black & Decker Kitchen Wand. From a whisk to a can opener, the recipes below make use of each of the wand’s clever attachments to make preparing meals for kiddos (and grown-ups!) quicker and easier.

1. The Easiest Blender Waffles

Quick, nutritious and crowd-friendly, our breakfast menu needs to check all the boxes. Our favorite morning meals include oatmeal, blender waffles, and homemade granola. Pro tip: ditch the full-sized blender for those waffles and use the wand's immersion blender attachment.

2. Scrambled Egg Muffins

I’ve given up on the idea that breakfast needs to be something new and exciting every morning. Instead, we aim for healthy, homemade, and filling enough to get the kids through their morning, like these egg bites that can be whipped up using the wand’s whisk attachment. And of course, all this prep work is accompanied by several cups of creamy, rich coffee, a morning ritual made even more special by adding freshly frothed milk.

3. Homemade Hummus

Packing lunches five days a week is no small feat. Keeping it interesting and creative on top of that? Darn near impossible. But fear not, this is where protein-packed dips come into play. I like to use bento lunch boxes, filling one of the containers with sliced vegetables and making a batch of homemade hummus to add to the other container. The best part? I can open my can of chickpeas and blend the hummus using BLACK+DECKER® kitchen wand™ attachments.

4. Black Bean Dip

Using those same attachments, switch things up by making a black bean dip to add to those bento boxes. Round out the offerings with homemade crackers (or store-bought), a hardboiled egg, and a lil’ sweet treat.

5. Single-Serve Smoothies

Between basketball and soccer practice, ballet and gymnastics training, drum lessons and math club, our after school hours are jam-packed. My kids are active, and their various interests keep them engaged (and hungry!). This kind of eating is on-the-go, usually in the back of the minivan, so I skip the packaged stuff and instead opt for homemade snacks to keep energy levels high. Single serving smoothies travel well and pack a nutritional punch. Plus, the immersion blender attachment and measuring cup with the wand base make smoothie prep a breeze.

6. Easy Weeknight Marinara

I’m not here to reinvent the wheel night after night, and experience tells me that I can’t go wrong with pasta. Easy weeknight marinara is a guaranteed dinner win, and using the right kitchen tool combined with an approachable recipe like this can make all the difference.

7. Chicken Tenders With Apple Cider Dipping Sauce

Who doesn’t love chicken tenders? This recipe pairs perfectly crunchy, lightly breaded tenders with a dipping sauce that hits all the sweet and sour notes. The sauce can be made up to three days in advance, so if you’re someone who likes to meal prep on the weekends, add this recipe to your repertoire.

8. Spaghetti Carbonara Frittata

For nights when we’re craving something comforting, cheesy, and oh-so-easy, this spaghetti carbonara frittata hits the spot. The whisk attachment helps create light and fluffy eggs, and the grinder gives the finished frittata a flavor oomph from the freshly ground black pepper.

9. Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream

My kids inherited my sweet tooth, so we end most evenings on a sweet note. Sometimes it's as simple as adding homemade whipped cream to a bowl of berries, made simple with the help of the BLACK+DECKER kitchen wand™ whisk attachment.

10. Chocolate Mousse

For a more decadent (but equally simple) dessert, you can’t beat chocolate mousse. Use that same whisk attachment to whip the egg whites into stiff peaks for a smooth, silky consistency.

11. Tahini Mousse Pie

I’ll add tahini to just about anything, so if I’m feeling fancy this tahini mousse pie is where it’s at. It goes just a touch beyond the simple chocolate mousse above in terms of difficulty, but it’s very worth it.

12. Golden Milk Smoothie

I’m often so focused on keeping my kids fed and on schedule that I forget to nourish myself. Taking a moment to blend the ingredients for a golden milk smoothie feels like much-needed self-care.

At the end of the long week, once the dishwasher is running and the kitchen is clean, my husband and I crack open a bottle of wine using the wand's wine opener attachment and toast to another successful week of keeping our family fed.

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What are your favorite family-friendly recipes for weeknights? Tell us in the comments below!

For over a century, our friends at BLACK+DECKER® have been making top-notch home products. From newcomers like the BLACK+DECKER® kitchen wand™ cordless multitool system to their tried-and-true power tools and cleaning gadgets, BLACK+DECKER® designs products to help you enjoy your space (inside and out). Check out the full line of BLACK+DECKER®’s home innovations by visiting their website.