Stretch-It Kitchen

Cheap Fall Dinners: Nine Warm Meals for the First Cool Week

Nine well-rated fall dinners priced at a Greer, SC Harris Teeter on October 22, 2026, from chicken and dumplings at 99 cents a serving to pork chops with apples and sweet potatoes at $3.91. The recipes, the shelf prices, and what fall produce really costs.

The first cool week of fall is when supper moves back to the stove: soup, stew, a pot pie in the oven. Comfort food has a cheap reputation. We wanted to see what it costs at the shelf now.

So we priced nine of them. Every dinner below is a published Allrecipes recipe with real ratings, priced at the Harris Teeter on Old Spartanburg Road in Greer on October 22, 2026, at regular shelf price. The cheapest works out to 99 cents a serving and the most expensive to $3.91. After the table, the recipes are grouped by how much time they take.

What fall produce costs this week

Some fall produce is cheap and some is not. Here is the produce these dinners lean on, per pound, at regular price on the same day.

Cabbage and potatoes are the bargains, which is why they turn up so often below. Apples cost the most per pound of anything in that table. Butternut, cabbage and carrots also showed a lower promo price in the store’s data that week. We left promos out of every number here, because you cannot count on them being there when you shop.

Nine fall dinners, side by side

“Four plates” is the per-serving price times four, or the whole pot when the recipe makes exactly four. Times are the recipe’s own prep plus cook time.

Prices are from one Greer store on one day. Your store will read a little different.

Weeknight fall dinners, an hour or less

Potato Soup: $1.00 a serving

Allrecipes’ Potato Soup has 196 ratings and a 4.5-star average, and it might be the shortest recipe on this page: five ingredients and one step. The whole pot of seven bowls is $7.01. The potatoes are $3.87 of that and the broth $1.62.

Our one change: the recipe calls for two 14 1/2-ounce cans of chicken broth. We priced the same 29 ounces out of a 32-ounce carton, which was $1.79 for the whole carton.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cups mashed cooked potatoes
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth (we priced 29 ounces of a 32 ounce carton)
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Melt the butter in a medium soup pot over low heat and cook the onion until it is tender.
2. Stir in the mashed potatoes, then add the broth slowly.
3. Stir in the milk, using more or less until the soup is as creamy as you like, and cook until it is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

The recipe starts with potatoes that are already mashed. It does not say how many to cook, so we priced 3 pounds of russets, which is about what it takes to get 6 cups once they are peeled, boiled soft and mashed. Mash them plain. The soup brings its own butter and milk. It is made with chicken broth, so it is not a meatless pot.

Cabbage and Kielbasa: $2.52 a serving

Cabbage and Kielbasa (4.5 stars, 142 ratings) is a skillet supper that feeds six for $15.09. The sausage is $9.58 of that. The cabbage, the vegetable doing most of the work, is $2.58.

Two changes. The recipe wants savoy cabbage, which did not show up in this store’s listing, so we priced a 2-pound head of green cabbage. Green cabbage stays a little firmer, so give it a few more minutes in the skillet. And the recipe’s 1 1/2 pounds of kielbasa does not come in one package here: the store sells 14-ounce ropes, so you buy two and use most of the second one. We counted only the 24 ounces that go in the pan.

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 head savoy cabbage, shredded (we priced a 2 pound head of green cabbage)
• 1 (15 ounce) can sliced potatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa sausage (two 14 ounce packs)
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup water

1. Cook the margarine and onion together in a large skillet until the onion is soft. Stir in the cabbage and potatoes and cook until the cabbage wilts.
2. Add the kielbasa, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until everything is cooked through.
3. Pour in the water, cover the pan, and cook for 10 more minutes before serving.

The recipe really does call for margarine, and that helps: a box of four margarine sticks was $1.79 at this store, against $3.69 for a pound of butter. Kielbasa comes fully cooked, so you are only heating it through.

Butternut Squash Soup: $2.04 a serving

Butternut Squash Soup carries 2,679 ratings and a 4.7-star average, one of the best-rated recipes here. It makes four bowls for $8.18. The squash is $3.58 of that.

Our one change: the recipe calls for a 32-ounce container of chicken stock. We priced the store’s 32-ounce chicken broth at $1.79 instead of its chicken stock at $2.29.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock (we used chicken broth)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the squash, potatoes, carrot, celery and onion and cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in enough stock to cover them.
2. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes.
3. Blend the soup in batches, filling the blender no more than halfway. Take out the center cap and hold a kitchen towel over the opening so steam can escape. Pour it back into the pot, stir in the rest of the stock until it is as thick as you like, and season with salt and pepper.

We priced the squash at 2 pounds. Butternut is sold by the pound, and a “medium” one can run from 2 to 3 pounds, so a bigger squash adds $1.79 a pound. Four bowls of soup is a light supper; put bread on the table if your crew is hungry.

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings: $0.99 a serving

The cheapest serving on this list is the biggest pot. Allrecipes’ Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings (4.4 stars, 188 ratings) is written for a crowd: 7 pounds of chicken and a listed yield of 20 servings. The whole pot comes to $19.86, and $13.93 of it is chicken.

The recipe calls for cut-up chicken pieces. We priced whole chickens at $1.99 a pound, which you cut up yourself or have the meat counter do. Two birds of about 3 1/2 pounds each make the 7 pounds. We also priced the 4 cups of chicken stock as a 32-ounce carton of broth, and the recipe’s unsalted butter as the store’s salted butter.

• 7 pounds cut up chicken pieces (we priced whole chickens by the pound)
• 4 cups chicken stock (we priced a 32 ounce carton of chicken broth)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (we priced salted butter)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Put the chicken in a large pot with the stock, onions, celery and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, then simmer, partly covered, until the chicken is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While it simmers, beat the egg and milk together in a large bowl and mix in 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. Grate the cold butter into the dough and stir in 1 tablespoon of parsley.
4. Drop 6 large spoonfuls of the dough on top of the simmering chicken. Cover the pot and steam the dumplings until fluffy, about 10 minutes.
5. Lift the dumplings and chicken out into a large dish. Shred the chicken, throw away the bones, and keep it covered and warm.
6. Strain the stock left in the pot, pressing on the vegetables, and pour the stock back into the pot.
7. Whisk the water and the last 1/2 cup of flour until smooth and stir it into the stock. Add the pepper and bring it to a boil, stirring the whole time, until it thickens.
8. Stir the chicken back in, set the dumplings on top, and serve with the rest of the parsley.

Seven pounds of bone-in chicken is a lot of meat to cook through in 15 to 20 minutes. Check the thickest piece before you shred it: the USDA minimum for poultry is 165 degrees F. And the dough makes six big dumplings, so in a 20-serving pot most bowls get chicken and gravy and a piece of dumpling. For a family of four or five, a third of the recipe is about 2 1/3 pounds of chicken, around $4.64 of it.

Oven nights

Chicken Pot Pie: $1.51 a serving

Chicken Pot Pie has 13,686 ratings and a 4.8-star average, the most reviewed recipe in this whole list by a wide margin. One 9-inch pie, cut in eight, is $12.05.

The chicken is the biggest line at $4.99 for a pound of boneless breast. The crust is next: the recipe calls for two 9-inch unbaked pie crusts, and the store’s 2-count pack of deep-dish crusts was $3.49. Deep-dish shells hold a little more filling than standard ones, which is fine here.

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (we priced a 2-count pack of deep-dish crusts)

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Put the chicken, carrots, peas and celery in a saucepan, cover them with water, and bring it to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, then drain.
3. While that cooks, melt the butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and celery seed.
4. Slowly stir in the broth and milk. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, 5 to 10 minutes, then take it off the heat.
5. Fit one crust into a 9-inch pie plate, add the chicken and vegetables, and pour the hot sauce over them.
6. Lay the second crust on top, seal and trim the edges, and cut a few small slits so steam can escape.
7. Bake until the crust is browned and the filling bubbles, 30 to 35 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes before you cut it.

Eight slices from one pie is a thin wedge for a grown appetite. For four people with healthy appetites, figure two slices each and the pie is the whole supper at $12.05.

Pork Chops with Apples, Onions, and Sweet Potatoes: $3.91 a serving

Pork Chops with Apples, Onions, and Sweet Potatoes (4.2 stars, 476 ratings) is the one dinner here built on apples and sweet potatoes, and the most expensive serving on the list. Four chops with everything piled on top come to $15.63, and the pork is $8.98 of that.

The recipe just says four pork chops. We priced four 6-ounce boneless center-cut chops, 1 1/2 pounds at $5.99 a pound. It does not name an apple, so we priced Granny Smith, and it does not give a size for the sweet potatoes, so we priced two of about half a pound each.

• 4 pork chops (we priced 1 1/2 pounds of boneless center-cut chops)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 onions, sliced into rings
• 2 sweet potatoes, sliced
• 2 apples - peeled, cored, and sliced into rings (we priced Granny Smith)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season the chops with salt and pepper and lay them in a medium oven-safe skillet. Pile the onions, sweet potatoes and apples on top, sprinkle with the brown sugar, and season with the 2 teaspoons of pepper and the teaspoon of salt.
3. Cover and bake for 1 hour, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the pork reaches 145 degrees F inside.

The recipe’s 145 degrees F matches the USDA’s safe minimum for pork, with a 3-minute rest. Our suggestion: slice the sweet potatoes about a quarter inch thick, so they are soft by the time the chops are done.

Sheet Pan Dinner with Sausage and Vegetables: $3.25 a serving

Sheet Pan Dinner with Sausage and Vegetables is rated 4.9 stars, but from only 39 ratings, the fewest behind any recipe here. It is the second most expensive serving on the list, $12.99 for four. The kielbasa is $4.79 of that, the yellow pepper $1.79, and the olive oil, from the 16.9-ounce bottle, 86 cents.

Two notes on how we priced it. The recipe’s 16-ounce package of red potatoes is a pound of loose red potatoes at $1.99, and its 12-ounce bag of green beans is three-quarters of a pound of loose green beans at $2.99 a pound. The 12 ounces of kielbasa comes out of a 14-ounce rope.

• cooking spray
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, or more to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package red potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks (we priced 1 pound of loose red potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 12 ounces fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (12 ounce) bag fresh green beans, trimmed (we priced 3/4 pound of loose green beans)
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 medium onion, cut into bite-sized pieces

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the oil, the rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Toss the potatoes in it and lay them skin side down in a single layer on the pan.
3. Roast until the potatoes are fork-tender, 23 to 25 minutes. Take the pan out and stir.
4. In the same bowl, mix the rest of the oil, salt and pepper with the onion flakes, paprika, parsley and oregano. Toss the sausage, green beans, bell pepper and onion in it, then add everything to the pan with the potatoes and spread it out in one layer.
5. Roast until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes and sausage are browned, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

This recipe leans on the spice rack more than any other here: a tablespoon each of onion flakes, smoked paprika, dried parsley and dried oregano. Like every dried spice on this page, those are not counted in the $12.99. If you have to buy smoked paprika and oregano to make it, the first time costs more.

Let it simmer

Easy Chili: $2.00 a serving

Easy Chili (4.7 stars, 419 ratings) simmers for an hour and a half and makes six bowls for $11.99. The pound of ground beef is $5.29, a little under half the pot. The tomatoes are the next biggest piece: two cans of petite diced and a can of sauce, $3.87 together.

Two changes for package size. The recipe’s 29-ounce can of diced tomatoes is two 14.5-ounce cans at this store, and its 16-ounce can of chili beans is a 15.5-ounce can.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes (we used two 14.5 ounce cans)
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno chile peppers
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained (we used a 15.5 ounce can)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the ground beef, onion and bell pepper in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off the fat.
2. Stir in the chili powder, garlic, cumin and bay leaf.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and jalapenos. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring now and then. Stir in the beans and let them heat through.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Brown the beef until no pink is left; the USDA minimum for ground beef is 160 degrees F. Fish out the bay leaf before you serve it. The chili powder is the one spice that matters here, at 2 1/2 tablespoons, and like the others it is not in the $11.99.

Homemade Beef Stew: $2.44 a serving

Homemade Beef Stew has 3,857 ratings and a 4.6-star average. It makes ten servings for $24.45, the biggest pot total on this page. Two pounds of stew meat at $8.99 a pound is $17.98 of it. The vegetables, all of them together, are less than $7.

We made no changes. The bouillon cubes, the dried herbs and the cornstarch are not counted.

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef well.
2. Dissolve the bouillon in the 4 cups of water and pour it in. Stir in the rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion.
4. Stir the cornstarch into the 2 teaspoons of cold water until it dissolves, then stir it into the stew. Cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about 1 hour more.

The same meat case had Harris Teeter’s Angus pot roast stew meat at $7.99 a pound. Two pounds of that instead would bring the pot down by $2.00, to $22.45. That is our suggestion, not the recipe’s, and we did not compare the two cuts in the pot.

The register total, if your pantry is bare

The per-serving prices above count only the share of each package that goes into the pot. If you are starting with empty shelves, the checkout is higher, because you buy the whole bag of flour and the whole box of butter. For the potato soup, the full-package register total is $12.43. For the chicken pot pie, it is $25.03, mostly because the flour, butter, broth and milk all come home in bigger packages than one pie uses. None of these totals count the spice rack.

What you take home is the start of the next few dinners. The broth, butter, flour, onions and celery from one of these carts cover most of the next pot on this list, which is the case for picking three or four and shopping for them together. And make the big pot when the recipe allows it: the leftovers are tomorrow’s lunch.

Keep going

If chili is the one your house asks for, big-batch chili that stretches a pound of beef runs the numbers on a bigger pot. The $15 soup pot is a soup to make once and eat from all week. For a Saturday plan, a morning at the farmers market is a good way to find cabbage, squash and sweet potatoes from the people who grew them. And when you need four plates on a short budget, here are seven dinners for four under $10, priced at the shelf.

Which of these is the first one you make when the weather turns?

Recipes: Allrecipes, linked in each section, followed as written except the changes we name. We priced every recipe; we did not test-cook each one for this list. Prices: regular shelf prices at Harris Teeter Hudson Corners, 2145 Old Spartanburg Rd, Greer, SC 29650, pulled October 22, 2026 through the Kroger Products API. Sale prices left out. Pot costs count the share of each package used; salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices, vinegar, bouillon cubes, cooking spray and water are not counted. Your store and week will vary.

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