14 Easy Fall Dinner Recipes for Chilly Nights
Fall is for chili, soups, roasts, and pies! There’s something about cool evenings that makes you want to turn the oven on and lean into warming spices and comforting roasts. Here are cozy dinner ideas and weekend baking projects to take on this fall.
Butternut Squash Soup
Creamy, rich, and spicy-sweet, butternut squash soup is a fall classic in our house. Roasting the halved squash brings out its natural sweetness and makes the house smell like October. Warm and earthy spices like nutmeg and cinnamon plus a touch of smoked paprika make it delicious.
White Chicken Chili
This lighter take on chili is perfect for those hot fall days when you need something not that rich. The recipe swaps the usual tomato base for a light and savory broth built from white beans, green chiles, and shredded chicken. Finish with fresh cilantro and cheese or sour cream.
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Pot Pie with its flaky golden crust and creamy rich filling is the ultimate fall treat. Tender chicken pieces, carrots, peas, and celery give this dish its unique taste that we all love. The buttery crust and warm saucy filling is simply delicious on cool autumn evenings.
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
This slow cooker version of a Southern classic is like a warm hug. Chicken, carrots, celery, and onion cook low and slow in the broth until the chicken is ready to fall-apart. Add homemade fluffy dumplings towards the end and let them soak in the flavor as they cook.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
This one-pan dinner combines sausage with fall veggies of your choice. Everything gets drizzled with olive oil and spices and is roasted together till caramelized and crisp. Its a perfect throw it together meal for a busy day.
Gumbo
Gumbo brings bold, layered flavor to the fall table. It gets its signature richness and color from a deep brown roux. Andouille sausage, chicken, or shrimp are popular proteins while the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper forms the aromatic base. Okra is essential to its thick flavor. Serve over warm fluffy rice.
Pot Roast
A good old fashioned pot roast cooked low and slow with carrots, onions and potatoes turns a tough, inexpensive cut of beef into something incredibly tender and flavorful. It can be made in the oven, a slow cooker, or an Instant Pot, depending on how much time you have.
Shepherd’s Pie
This classic layered casserole combines spicy meat and vegetable filling with a layer of mashed potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are golden and crisp. It’s a complete meal in one dish and easy to make.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
My personal favorite! There’s nothing like dipping a crisp, buttery grilled cheese sandwich into a warm bowl of tomato soup. Make the soup from scratch or use canned tomatoes for a quicker version.
Pumpkin Risotto
This creamy risotto blends the flavor of fall with classic Italian taste. Fold pumpkin puree into the rice as it slowly absorbs chicken broth. The result is a risotto with a naturally sweet, earthy flavor and a beautiful golden-orange color. Finish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg.
Split Pea Soup
Split Pea Soup is a budget friendly fall staple. Dried split peas simmer with ham or a ham hock, along with carrots, celery, and onion, until the peas break down into a naturally creamy, thick soup. You can even batch cook this soup during busy fall months.
Roast Chicken
A whole roast chicken is both timeless and elegant. Simple seasonings like garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs bring out the chicken’s flavor. I like roasting veggies like carrots, potatoes, and onions alongside the chicken and serve with some fresh buttered dinner rolls. Leftover chicken is great for making recipes throughout the week.
Pork Green Chili
I first ate this Southwestern-style stew on a trip to Colorado and had to replicate it at home. Tender chunks of pork simmer in a green chili sauce made from roasted hatch chiles, tomatillos, and plenty of spices. Make this in the slow cooker for that coveted fall apart texture.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
This dish turns roasted butternut squash halves into an elegant and presentable dish. I love stuffing the squash with creamed spinach but other options such as ground meat, grains, and beans are also popular. Recipe.
Fall cooking ranges all the way from flavorful stews and cozy casseroles to golden crusty baking and slow-simmered dishes. Many of these dishes taste better with time, making them perfect for meal prep and large crowds.
