20 Simple Fall Dinner Ideas You’ll Want to Repeat All Season
These simple fall dinner ideas include one-pot meals, creamy pastas, and baked casseroles everyone will love. They’re all great for meal planning or casual gatherings.
Fall is the perfect time to slow down and explore new recipes.
Thinking of making something cozy, hearty, and deeply satisfying? These dinner ideas are so easy to make and simple enough for your busiest nights.
Pasta with Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Sauce
Craving mouthwatering garlicky pasta? Include this in your fall dinner rotation. Pair it with roasted carrots and parsnips.
Get the Recipe: Pasta with Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Sauce
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Slow cooker dishes are amazing choices for parties. This one is brimming with zesty, tangy flavors. Feel free to include cilantro, crumbled blue cheese, onions, and other toppings.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Stuffed Acorn Squash
These stuffed squash halves are loaded with seasoned ground sausage, quinoa, garlic, shallots, dried cranberries, and herbs. It’s one of the easiest and healthiest meals you can prepare for your family.
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash
Baked Ziti with Sausage
There’s something extra comforting about baked pasta on a cool fall night! Try this recipe. It uses Italian sausage, but you can swap it with ground turkey or any other meat of your choice.
Get the Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage
Roasted Pumpkin Pasta
A creamy, comforting dish without any cream? This irresistible plant-based creation combines pumpkin with coconut milk, tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Pumpkin Pasta
Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta with Brown Butter
This pasta is loaded with nutty, buttery, and deeply savory flavors. Garnish it with grated Parmesan (or any vegan alternative!), then pair it with roasted green beans.
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta with Brown Butter
Chicken Enchilada Soup
This enchilada soup is made with chicken breasts, black beans, onions, tomatoes, seasonings, and herbs. Customize it with your favorite toppings. You can add sour cream, avocados, and more!
Get the Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Soup
Sheet-Pan Chicken Sausage with Vegetables
This sheet pan meal is savory with a hint of sweetness from the veggies. Make this ahead and store it in the fridge for up to four days.
Get the Recipe: Sheet-Pan Chicken Sausage with Vegetables
Harvest Chicken Salad With Apples
This chicken salad is bound to be a new family favorite. Apples are the key ingredient here, so make sure to choose the best ones! Honeycrisp or any other sweet variety works well.
Get the Recipe: Harvest Chicken Salad With Apples
Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew
This delicious stew is made with only a few simple ingredients, including red lentils, coconut milk, and veggie stock. It also uses coconut butter, but you can always replace that with olive oil if you like.
Get the Recipe: Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew
Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Chicken casseroles are all about flavor and comfort. Try this version next. Ingredients include shredded chicken, cream of chicken condensed soup, mixed veggies, milk, and egg.
Get the Recipe: Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Healthy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
If you’re looking for an easy main that the whole family will love, look no further than these chicken drumsticks. They’re ready in an hour and also come with wholesome ingredients like Honeycrisp apples, sweet potatoes, and red onions.
Get the Recipe: Healthy Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Sweet Potato Curry
Got one extra sweet potato? Make this curry in 20 minutes. You’ll also need coconut milk, yellow onions, chili, garlic, and spinach. It’s an amazing option for busy weeknights.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Curry
Slow Cooker Taco Pasta
This slow cooker dish features the fun combo of ground beef and cream cheese! Just brown the beef, dump all the ingredients into the slow cooker (including the pasta), and let it cook into a satisfying dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Taco Pasta
Southern Mac and Cheese
This Southern-style mac and cheese uses sharp cheddar and sour cream to deliver deep, comforting flavors. It’s great as a stand-alone dinner or a hearty side on cooler nights.
Get the Recipe: Southern Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto
This risotto is perfect for fall and comes together fast in the Instant Pot. Main ingredients include frozen pumpkin, heavy cream, Parmesan, and white wine. You can also substitute pumpkin purée if that’s the only option available to you.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders with Cheddar
This is for everyone who loves hearty and cheesy dishes. It’s great for a laid-back family dinner, with rotisserie chicken, ranch dressing, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders with Cheddar
Tenderloin with Apples and Onions
Make this filling dish in just under an hour. It’s packed with cozy flavors of the season, featuring pork tenderloin, apples, apple cider, chicken broth, and fresh rosemary leaves.
Get the Recipe: Tenderloin with Apples and Onions
Dutch Oven Short Rib Rigatoni (Slow Braised Ragu)
This is the kind of dinner you save for slow weekends or cozy nights. It’s made with beef short ribs, tomato sauce, whole milk, red wine, and herbs.
Get the Recipe: Dutch Oven Short Rib Rigatoni (Slow Braised Ragu)
Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes
This is classic comfort food made even better with a rich, homemade gravy. Why not make these meatballs in advance? Make them ahead and then store them in the freezer or fridge until you’re ready to enjoy.
Get the Recipe: Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes
These aren’t your average weekday meals. Not sure where to start?
Try incorporating apples and pears into your savory dishes. They pair really well with pork and chicken.
As you go along, you can include various spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger.
Looking for more ideas? These recipes are easy, comforting, and full of flavors:
