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When the days get shorter, I stop wanting salads and start wanting a pot on the stove. Fall is the season for slow simmered soups, roasts in the oven and anything with squash, apples or a good gravy.
Below are 15 fall dinner ideas that I would be glad to put on my own table. Some take an afternoon of simmering and some go from pan to plate in thirty minutes, and most make enough for leftovers. Each one says what it is, how to make it and what to serve with it. If you need something faster, see our quick and easy dinner ideas and 30 minute dinners, and when the big holiday meal comes, start with our Thanksgiving dinner ideas and Thanksgiving side dishes.
1. Old fashioned beef stew
SaveCredit: The Rustic Elk
A pot of beef stew is the first thing I make when the air turns crisp. Chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots and peas simmer in a rich broth until the whole house smells like supper.
Brown the beef well before it goes in the pot, because that is where the flavor comes from. Let it simmer low and slow until the meat is tender, and serve it with a loaf of crusty bread.
2. Classic pot roast with potatoes and carrots
SaveCredit: The Modern Proper
Pot roast is Sunday dinner at its best. A chuck roast braises for hours with baby potatoes and carrots until you can shred it with a fork.
Sear the roast first, then add broth and herbs and let the oven do the work. Spoon the pan juices over everything and save the leftovers for sandwiches the next day.
3. Homemade chicken pot pie
SaveCredit: The Forked Spoon
A flaky crust holding a creamy filling of chicken and vegetables is about as cozy as dinner gets. It is also a good way to use up leftover roast chicken.
Make the crust ahead and chill it, and cook the filling until it is thick enough to hold its shape when you cut a slice. Bake until the top is deep golden and let it rest before serving.
4. Chicken and dumplings
SaveCredit: Lana’s Cooking
Soft, pillowy dumplings in a thick chicken gravy are the kind of food that fixes a bad day. Homemade ones take just flour, baking powder, fat and milk.
Cook the chicken in the broth first, then drop in the dumplings and keep the lid on while they steam. Do not peek too early or they turn heavy.
5. Sheet pan chicken thighs with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts
SaveCredit: Italian Food Forever
This is my pick for a busy fall night. Bone in thighs roast on one pan with cubed sweet potatoes and halved Brussels sprouts, so there is very little to wash afterward.
Season everything with olive oil, garlic and herbs and roast at a high heat until the skin is crisp and the vegetables are caramelized at the edges. Use a thermometer to check the chicken is done.
6. Autumn sausage and apple sheet pan dinner
SaveCredit: Cooking Classy
Sliced sausage, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and chunks of apple all roast together on one pan. The apples turn sweet and soft and balance the savory sausage.
Roast the sweet potatoes and sprouts first, then add the sausage and apples for the last stretch so nothing gets mushy. Toss once or twice and finish with a handful of parsley.
7. Apple cider pork chops
SaveCredit: Six Sisters’ Stuff
Pork and apples are made for each other. Pork chops simmer in a sweet and tangy cider sauce that turns into a glossy gravy you will want to spoon over mashed potatoes.
Sear the chops until golden, then let them finish in the sauce. Pork is done at 145 degrees, so rest the chops for a few minutes before serving to keep them juicy.
8. Sausage stuffed acorn squash
SaveCredit: Averie Cooks
Roasted acorn squash halves make their own edible bowls. Fill them with a savory mix of sausage, grains and seasonal vegetables and you have a pretty main dish for the table.
Roast the squash cut side down until tender, then fill and return to the oven so the top browns. A sprinkle of cheese or crumbled feta at the end adds a salty finish.
9. Creamy pumpkin pasta with crispy sage
SaveCredit: Foodess
A spoonful of pumpkin puree turns into a velvety pasta sauce with butter, cream and Parmesan. It tastes like fall in a bowl and it is on the table in about thirty minutes.
Fry a few sage leaves in butter until crisp and scatter them over the top. If you grow your own sage, this is the dish that makes the plant worth it.
10. Creamy butternut squash soup
SaveCredit: Love and Lemons
Roasted squash blended with onion, garlic and broth makes a smooth, golden soup that is lovely with a grilled cheese. It freezes well, so I make a double batch.
Roast the squash until the edges brown, because that depth is what keeps the soup from tasting flat. A swirl of cream and a few toasted seeds on top finishes the bowl.
11. Ham and bean soup
SaveCredit: Well Plated
If you have a leftover ham bone, this is where it goes. Beans, vegetables and chunks of ham slow cook into a thick soup that tastes better the second day.
Start with dry beans and let the slow cooker do the work, then pull the bone and shred the meat back in. Serve it with cornbread or biscuits. Our ham hock soup works the same way if you do not have a bone.
12. Vegetable beef barley soup
SaveCredit: Two Kooks in the Kitchen
Tender beef, chewy barley and a pile of vegetables make this a soup that eats like a meal. It is one of the best ways to use up the last of the garden carrots and celery.
Brown the beef, then simmer everything in beef broth until the barley is plump. The soup thickens as it sits, so add a splash of broth when you reheat it.
13. Chicken wild rice soup
SaveCredit: Spend With Pennies
Creamy, earthy and full of mushrooms, carrots and wild rice, this soup is a Midwest favorite for a reason. It warms you up from the inside on a cold evening.
Rotisserie or leftover chicken makes it quick. Cook the wild rice until it just starts to burst, since it keeps soaking up broth as the pot sits.
14. Shepherd’s pie
SaveCredit: Salt and Lavender
Savory meat and vegetables in a thick gravy, topped with a fluffy blanket of mashed potatoes. It is a one dish dinner that feeds a crowd and reheats well.
Spread the potatoes all the way to the edges so the filling stays sealed, then rough up the top with a fork so it browns in ridges. A little cheese on top never hurts.
15. Roasted chicken with root vegetables
SaveCredit: Lively Table
A whole bird roasted over carrots, potatoes and beets is a classic autumn supper. The vegetables soak up the drippings while the chicken turns golden and crisp.
Pat the skin very dry and season it well for the crispiest result. Rest the chicken before carving, and use the leftover bones to make stock for soup later in the week.
How to plan fall dinners
Pick two or three that suit your week and shop for them together. A big pot of soup or stew on Sunday covers lunches too, a sheet pan dinner is for the nights you get home late, and a roast is for the evening when you want the house to smell wonderful.
Fall is also when produce is at its best and cheapest, so lean on squash, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Most of these dinners freeze well, so make a double batch of the soups and stews and tuck one away for a busy night in winter.
Fall dinner ideas FAQ
What are easy fall dinner ideas? Sheet pan chicken with sweet potatoes, a sausage and apple pan dinner and pumpkin pasta all come together in under an hour with very little cleanup.
What are good fall dinners for a crowd? Pot roast, shepherd’s pie and chicken pot pie all feed a table of people and hold well while everyone sits down.
Which fall dinners freeze well? Beef stew, vegetable beef barley soup, ham and bean soup and butternut squash soup all freeze nicely. Cool them fully, pack them in containers and thaw in the fridge overnight.
