14 Fall Dinner Ideas: Cosy Braises, Roasts and Casseroles

These fall dinner ideas are the meals I lean on from the first chilly evening in October right through to the clocks going back: slow braises that fill the house with a lovely smell, Sunday roasts, bubbling casseroles and a couple of quick one pan suppers for the busy nights. Every one of the fourteen comes from my own kitchen, so each link takes you to a recipe I have cooked, photographed and happily eaten for days.

I have grouped them by how much time you have, because that is really how I choose dinner once the evenings draw in. After the recipes you will find a week of autumn dinners planned out, my make-ahead notes, a few tips and the questions readers ask me most.

Slow Cooker and Dutch Oven Fall Dinner Ideas

These four do their best work while you get on with your day. Cheap, hard working cuts like chuck and pork shoulder need long, gentle heat, and the payoff is meat that falls apart under a fork.

1. Dutch Oven Pot Roast

If one dish says autumn in my house, it is this. A seared chuck roast goes into the pot with potatoes, carrots and onion, the lid goes on, and three hours later the beef pulls apart into the richest gravy. I always pour the stock around the sides rather than over the top, so the crust I worked hard for stays put.

Get the Dutch Oven Pot Roast recipe →

2. Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ten minutes in the morning gets you a creamy, savoury supper by teatime. The beef cooks low all day with mushrooms, onion and a splash of Worcestershire, and the soured cream goes in right at the end. Honestly, the egg noodles are not optional; they drink up the sauce like nothing else.

Get the Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe →

3. Mississippi Pork Roast

This is the laziest proper dinner I make. A pork shoulder goes into the slow cooker with ranch seasoning, au jus mix, butter and a handful of pepperoncini, and that is genuinely it. The peppers add a gentle tang that cuts through the richness, so it never feels heavy, especially over a pile of mash.

Get the Mississippi Pork Roast recipe →

4. Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

I make this for bonfire night every year, and it is the easiest way I know to feed a crowd in cold weather. The pork cooks with a simple spice rub until it shreds with no effort at all, then gets stirred through with barbecue sauce. Pile it into soft buns with coleslaw and let everyone help themselves.

Get the Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork recipe →

Sunday Roasts and Suppers

When the weekend turns grey, a roast in the oven is the cosiest thing I know. These three are simple enough for a Sunday at home but special enough for guests.

5. Classic Roast Chicken

Butter rubbed under the skin is the whole secret here. It bastes the breast from the inside while the outside crisps to a deep, peppery gold. I stuff the cavity with lemon, onion and garlic, roast it uncovered, and then use every last scrap for soup or sandwiches the next day.

Get the Classic Roast Chicken recipe →

6. Honey Glazed Ham

Because the joint is already cooked, this is far less work than it looks. It warms gently under foil first, then gets brushed with a sticky glaze of honey, brown sugar, Dijon and butter until it lacquers. Of course, the leftovers are half the point; I slice them for sandwiches all week.

Get the Honey Glazed Ham recipe →

7. Easy Meatloaf

Proper old fashioned comfort, made in one bowl with a single pound of beef. Grated onion and milk soaked breadcrumbs keep it soft and juicy, while the ketchup glaze turns sticky in the oven. I serve it with mash and green beans, and cold slices make a brilliant sandwich the next day.

Get the Easy Meatloaf recipe →

Cosy Casseroles and Bakes

Casseroles are what I make when I want one dish on the table and very little washing up. Most of these can be put together ahead, which makes them perfect for busy autumn weeks.

8. Homemade Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

All the comfort of a pie without any pastry to roll. A creamy chicken filling with carrots, celery and peas goes into one pan, then gets topped with flaky biscuits that bake up golden and soft underneath. Using cooked shredded chicken keeps it quick, so it works on a weeknight too.

Get the Homemade Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits recipe →

9. Chicken and Dumplings Casserole

This is my oven version of a slow simmered classic. Softened vegetables and shredded chicken go into the dish, a simple batter is poured over, and then the creamy broth sinks underneath as it bakes. In fact, the dumpling layer comes out fluffy inside with a lovely golden top.

Get the Chicken and Dumplings Casserole recipe →

10. Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole

My children ask for this more than anything else on the list. Seasoned beef, sweetcorn and cheddar sit under a lid of crisp potato nuggets, and the slow cooker does everything else. If you want extra crunch, a couple of minutes under the grill at the end makes all the difference.

Get the Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole recipe →

11. Easy Baked Ziti

Five ingredients and a lot of happy faces. The ziti gets tossed with marinara and ricotta, buried under mozzarella and parmesan, and baked until the top is bubbling and golden in spots. I always pull the pasta while it still has some bite, since it finishes cooking in the oven.

Get the Easy Baked Ziti recipe →

12. Skillet Lasagna

All the flavour of a Sunday lasagna in forty minutes and one pan. Broken lasagna sheets cook straight in a beef ragu, then ricotta and mozzarella melt over the top under the lid. Better yet, there is no boiling, no layering and only one pan to wash.

Get the Skillet Lasagna recipe →

Quick Weeknight Fall Dinner Ideas

For the nights when everyone is hungry by six, these two are on the table in under an hour with barely any hands on time.

13. Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables

One tray, a few chopped vegetables and a packet of smoked sausage. The peppers, courgette and red onion roast until their edges catch and turn sweet, while the sausage browns in between them. A shower of parmesan at the end makes it feel far more special than the effort deserves.

Get the Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables recipe →

14. Coconut Chicken Curry

When the evenings turn properly cold, I crave something warming and spiced. Drumsticks simmer gently in a thick sauce of creamed coconut, tomatoes and toasted curry powder until the meat is tender. It is mild enough for the children, yet still feels like a treat with a bowl of fluffy rice.

Get the Coconut Chicken Curry recipe →

A Week of Fall Dinner Ideas

Here is how I would spread these across a busy autumn week, so the long cooks land on the days you are home and the quick ones on the hectic nights.

To round out the plates, I lean on whatever is in season. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a handy list of fall produce picks, from sweet potatoes and parsnips to kale and beets, and any of them roasted on a tray makes an easy side for the dishes above.

Make Ahead Notes for Autumn Dinners

• Chicken pot pie: make the creamy filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, then add the biscuits just before baking.
• Slow cooker dishes: chop the onions and weigh out the seasonings the night before, so the morning job is simply tipping everything in.
• Roast chicken: take the bird out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before roasting and pat it completely dry, so the skin crisps rather than steams.
• Honey glazed ham: mix the glaze ahead, then gently warm it again before brushing it on.
• Leftovers: pulled pork, pot roast and stroganoff all taste even better the next day, so I always cook the full amount.

Tips for Better Fall Dinner Ideas at Home

• Brown first when the recipe says so. Searing the pot roast and the curry drumsticks builds the deep, savoury base that slow cooking alone cannot.
• Choose the right cut. Chuck and pork shoulder are made for long cooking, because their collagen melts into the sauce. Lean cuts dry out instead.
• Use a thermometer. It takes the guesswork out of the roast chicken at 165°F and the meatloaf at 160°F.
• Lean on mushrooms for flavour. They are one of the few plant foods packed with savoury glutamates, as the Harvard Nutrition Source explains in its guide to mushrooms, which is why the stroganoff tastes so rich.
• Rest the meat. Ten to fifteen minutes under loose foil keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the board.

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