61 Comforting Dinners To Make This Fall
Oven Baked Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
Recipe: Oven Baked Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
Fresh fall produce like Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes star in this delectable chicken dinner that comes together in your cast-iron skillet. We love to serve this dish with warm, crusty bread to sop up the savory juices in the pan.
Sweet Pepper Pasta with Sausage
Recipe: Sweet Pepper Pasta with Sausage
This quick dinner is full of colorful sweet baby bell peppers, hot Italian sausage, and orecchiette pasta. Best yet, it only takes 30 minutes, which is perfect for an easy weeknight fix.
Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pies
Recipe: Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pies
Something about chicken pot pie just feels cozy and right during the fall. The perfect pot pie is flaky on top, steaming inside, and 100% delicious.
Eggplant Rollups
Recipe: Eggplant Rollups
Skip the carb-heavy pasta for fresh and hearty eggplant. These tasty little bundles are filled with herbed ricotta and topped with marinara.
Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole
Recipe: Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole
Using fresh ingredients is the trick to taking this dish to the next level and only sacrificing a little bit of time. With crispy panko that gives it a yummy crunch, this fresh casserole will be well worth the extra minutes.
Cabbage, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta
Recipe: Cabbage, Mushroom, and Bacon Pasta
Reserving pasta water for when you fold all of the ingredients together helps create a smooth, creamy sauce. That extra touch of starch from the water is exactly what this delectable pasta dish needs to set it over the edge.
Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
Recipe: Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
This recipe makes an easy weeknight dinner and weekend crowd-pleaser. Roasted chicken and potatoes are always a no-brainer and this citrus-herb recipe is no exception.
Spaghetti Casserole
Recipe: Spaghetti Casserole
This slow-cooker version of traditional spaghetti casserole is a fall weeknight favorite. You won't be stuck in the kitchen all afternoon, which is always a plus.
Emily's Red Beans and Rice
Recipe: Emily's Red Beans and Rice
This dish is perfect for a big family-style meal and only gets better as the flavors meld together over time. Spicy, tender beans served over well-fluffed white rice is a down South classic we can't get enough of.
Sweet Potato Soup
Recipes: Sweet Potato Soup
This warm fall soup is packed with flavor from sweet potatoes, buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, healthy carrots, and warm spices. Top with toasted pecans for even more autumnal flare and some crunch.
BBQ Rub Roasted Chickens with Potatoes and Carrots
Recipe: BBQ Rub Roasted Chickens with Potatoes and Carrots
Roasted carrots and potatoes are always a warm fall staple. We love them in this BBQ chicken dish that makes great leftovers.
Soulful Chicken Soup
Recipe: Soulful Chicken Soup
Something about old-fashioned chicken soup with egg noodles screams comfort for us, and not just on sick or rainy days! Let your slow cooker do the hard work and rejoice in feel-good soup for supper.
Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder
This isn't a boring chowder by any means, with bacon, potatoes, and onions that add so much flavor and varying texture. Don't over-process the chowder to a point that it's too thin or overly smooth.
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Recipe: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
This signature Creole dish is hearty and gives just a little heat. Overall, this recipe is a great combination of flavorful ingredients, but it can be changed and tweaked easily according to what you like!
Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
Recipe: Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
The golden-brown color on this crispy chicken skin may just rival the beauty of those golden fall leaves. With baby potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts all roasting in the same pan as this centerpiece-worthy chicken, you've got an entire dinner prepared in just over an hour.
Greek Baked Ziti
Recipe: Greek Baked Ziti
There's nothing better than a hearty pasta dish, and this bake is packed full with ground beef, two cheeses, and warm seasoning. Plus, it freezes beautifully so when made ahead of time, weeknight pasta dinner can come together in a flash.
Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Recipe: Roast Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Sweet potatoes and apples are two of our favorite fall staples. They come together beautifully to complement this simple roast chicken. Choose the size of your bird accordingly to the number of mouths you plan to feed.
Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce over Pappardelle Pasta
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce over Pappardelle Pasta
Pappardelle's thick ribbon shape is ideal to catch and absorb the rich flavors of fall-favorite Bolognese sauce. Top with shredded parmesan and basil leaves for a pop of saltiness and freshness.
Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust
Recipe: Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust
The classic shepherd's pie gets a major upgrade with this stunning scalloped potato crust. Alternating between sweet potato and Yukon gold potatoes gives this pie an appealing visual effect that's fit for any fall occasion.
Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes
Recipe: Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes
Catch the tail end of the zucchini harvest and make these pork chops with roasted squash and potatoes. This colorful square meal in a sheet pan is guaranteed to please.
Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl
Recipe: Southwest Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl
This quick and easy rice bowl is endlessly customizable. Top with Southwest chicken or swap out proteins to make a steak-and-rice bowl, or even try making Southwest-seasoned tofu for a vegetarian twist.
Shrimp-Okra-and-Sausage Kebabs
Recipe: Shrimp-Okra-and-Sausage Kebabs
These fresh kebabs provide the perfect excuse to fire up the grill this fall. Sausage adds a hearty meat component to complement the light shrimp and crunchy okra.
Quick Beef Chili
Recipe: Quick Beef Chili
On those chilly autumn days, a steaming pot of chili will warm your bones in no time. Enjoy by the fire and top with shredded cheese and a spoonful of sour cream for added creaminess. We also love using this beef chili to top baked potatoes.
Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges
Recipe: Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges
Salmon isn't just for the summertime. Salty from the soy sauce and sweet from the honey, this salmon is beautifully broiled and a great option for a lighter main with lots of flavor.
Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
Recipe: Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon
Lentils are high in fiber, inexpensive, and super nutritious, making them a staple in our fall diets. This easy fall soup pairs lentils with indulgent sweet potatoes and bacon for a well-rounded dish.
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Mushrooms
Recipe: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Mushrooms
That golden-brown puff pastry crust is enough to make us swoon. With a creamy chicken filling complete with all the classic pot pie vegetables, you can't go wrong with this take on a classic.
Mushroom Stroganoff
Recipe: Mushroom Stroganoff
These wide egg noodles swimming in creamy mushroom sauce will transport you back to Grandma's kitchen. Though meatless, this recipe is supremely hearty thanks to savory, meaty cremini mushrooms and smoked paprika.
Chicken-Mushroom-Sage Casserole
Recipe: Chicken-Mushroom-Sage Casserole
With mushrooms, sage, and toasted almonds, this stunning casserole utilizes our favorite warm fall ingredients and herbs to complement simple chicken breasts. It'll be hard to resist, but let this dish stand for a few minutes so the long-grain rice can soak in deep, herbaceous flavors.
Beef Stew with Buttery Garlic Bread
Recipe: Beef Stew with Buttery Garlic Bread
Nothing says fall like a hearty beef stew. Serve this cozy dish at your dinner table or pack it to-go in thermoses. Just don't forget the crispy garlic bread for dipping!
One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards
Recipe: One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards
Chicken sausage is our new favorite, lighter alternative to smoky pork sausage. Thrown in with savory mushrooms and greens, it's a welcome addition to autumnal pasta dinner.
Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce
Recipe: Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce
This stunning roulade of beef is sure to impress your company this fall. Plate with fresh herbs and drizzle the burgundy-mushroom sauce over the beef to help maintain its moisture.
Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake
Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake
Don't shy away from the greens. This Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake is a great way to incorporate some veggies into your kids' diets, using the pasta bake as the ever-versatile vehicle.
Pecan Soup
Recipe: Pecan Soup
Most southerners have mastered the tried-and-true pecan pie, but have you ever tried using those crunchy pecans in a smooth fall soup? This velvety supper is autumnal comfort in a bowl.
Potato-Bacon Hash
Recipe: Potato-Bacon Hash
Breakfast for dinner just got a major upgrade. Top this Potato-Bacon Hash with a few fried eggs for an easy, budget-friendly way to feed the whole family.
Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole
Recipe: Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole
Who said you need a hearty cut of chicken or beef to make a stunning main dish? This casserole is packed full of roasted fall veggies and, with the addition of crispy bacon, it can stand alone on the dinner table.
Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
Recipe: Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
We took the Pinterest-famous Mississippi Roast and sped it up with the help of our Instant Pot. Ranch seasoning is our trick to the tastiest meat over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Beefy Butternut Squash Pasta
Recipe: Beefy Butternut Squash Pasta
We gave a quick ground beef pasta a fall tweak with the addition of fresh butternut squash. This dish is so good, you'll want it two nights in a row. Reheat leftovers in a skillet with a touch of chicken broth.
Oven-Fried Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
Recipe: Oven-Fried Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
We try to use sweet potatoes any way we can during fall, and this simple sheet pan supper is an easy way to do so. Follow our tips for crisp, breaded chops to to avoid soggy pork.
Green Chile-Chicken Stew
Recipe: Green Chile-Chicken Soup
One of the best things about this comforting fall soup is that it freezes beautifully. This make-ahead superstar has oodles of flavor thanks to green enchilada sauce and a poblano chile.
Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Recipe: Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
The kids will have no idea this gooey macaroni and cheese has a good-for-them ingredient in it. Adults with experienced palates will taste the delicious difference made by sweet, seasonal squash.
Cheeseburger Casserole
Recipe: Cheeseburger Casserole
Even though fall temperatures might prevent you from firing up the grill, you can still have the same delicious cheeseburger taste your family loves with an easy one-dish casserole. This homey recipe will satisfy burger cravings and save you a trip to the fast food drive-thru.
Baked Chicken Thighs with Dressing
Recipe: Baked Chicken Thighs with Dressing
Apples and fall vegetables meet with juicy chicken thighs and crusty chunks of cornbread with this weeknight version of dressing. Carefully cut your apples and vegetables so that they all cook to perfection in one shot—that's the beauty of a sheet pan recipe.
Beef Stroganoff
Recipe: Beef Stroganoff
Beef stroganoff is the ultimate comfort food supper that will cure even the most terrible, no-good, very bad day. Whip up this supper on a gray day to clear the poor weather haze.
Meatloaf Casserole
Recipe: Meatloaf Casserole
This Southern-ized version of Shepherd's Pie will quickly become a family favorite for Sunday dinner. Filling meat and creamy mashed potato topping is something to be savored after a long day.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Recipe: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This bright, cozy soup recipe is just what the doctor ordered for fall. Classic lemon-chicken soup flavors are boosted by seasonal bounty including sweet potato.
Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Carnitas Tacos
Marinate your pork in chicken broth, orange juice, and garlic, then leave dinner to the slow cooker for tender, flavorful carnitas tacos. Don't forget a pitcher of homemade margaritas!
White Lightning Chicken Chili
Recipe: White Lightning Chicken Chili
This dish earns its name not only because its lighter than classic chili with beef or pork, but also because it comes together almost as fast as lightning. Unlike many chilis that need to steep for hours, this recipe comes together in just 30 minutes total.
Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
Recipe: Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
It might be hard to believe that a dish this rich and decadent comes together in under an hour, but this recipe is the proof in the pudding. This creamy, hardy meal will satisfy on a chilly night, quick and easy enough for a long day.
Southwest Pork Stew
Recipe: Southwest Pork Stew
Choose your adventure for this mouth-watering stew: You can prepare your own meat r skip the hassle and use grocery store-bought, deli-roasted chicken or shredded pork from your favorite barbecue joint. Combined with warm broth and zesty Tex-Mex flavors, you can't go wrong.
Andouille Sausage and Smoked Chicken Gumbo
Recipe: Andouille Sausage and Smoked Chicken Gumbo
Classic gumbo will always be a cool-weather hit. This hearty version with rotisserie chicken and andouille sausage delivers knock-out spoonfuls of warming, Cajun stew.
Green Chile Pork Stew
Recipe: Green Chile Pork Stew
Stir together this spiced stew for a weeknight dinner and freeze leftovers for when you need a cozy meal in the future. It freezes beautifully so that green chile and pork can warm you up twice.
Greek Meatballs with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Rice
Recipe: Greek Meatballs with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Rice
Meatballs and rice are comforting as can be and extra tasty accompanied by tangy cucumber-yogurt sauce. It's hearty, filling, and quick to come together—all of our favorite things for a weeknight meal.
Chunky Vegetable Beef Soup
Recipe: Chunky Vegetable Beef Soup
This hardy soup is the remedy for a chilly day. Cook it slowly so that the vegetables and meat become tender and flush with warming flavors.
Chicken and Dumplings
Recipe: Chicken and Dumplings
If you look up "comforting" in the dictionary, you'll probably find a photo of a heading portion of classic Southern Chicken and Dumplings. This down home dish is as easy and cozy as it gets.
Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze
Recipe: Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze
The trick to preparing perfectly textured duck with crispy skin is keeping it dry. Take care to pat it down before baking it and slathering on sultry citrus-bourbon glaze.
Italian-Style Grits and Greens with Pulled Pork and Mushrooms
Recipe: Italian-Style Grits and Greens with Pulled Pork and Mushrooms
Serve this homestyle meal family style by preparing a large bed of grits to ground savory meat and mushrooms. Each component of this dish, from the pulled pork, to the garlicky sautéed mushrooms, and the grits packed with herbs, is a delicious balancing act of comforting and elegant.
Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries
Recipe: Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries
Before starting your day in the morning, set your flank steak up to marinate in olive oil, spices, and herbs. Closer to dinner time, this meat and potatoes recipe will come together in about an hour, bursting with all the deep flavor soaked into the steak.
Vidalia Onion Soup
Recipe: Vidalia Onion Soup
French onion soup is a classic go-to for comforting fare, and this version using Southern produce only sweetens the deal. Vidalia onions from Georgia enhance the soup with sweet flavor, especially when caramelized.
Chicken-Mushroom Skillet
Recipe: Chicken-Mushroom Skillet
This hardy skillet uses two types of mushrooms, oyster and cremini, for maximum indulgent, savory flavor. Our best tip: leave the mushrooms be. Avoid the temptation to stir them as they cook down.
One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice
Recipe: One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice
Chicken thighs cooked perfectly golden brown are a win for both your wallet and the hungry mouths around the dinner table. With this one-pot recipe, dinner will be a hit and clean-up will be a breeze.
One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes
Recipe: One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes
As if learning that delicious dinner can be prepared in just one pan with minimal dirty dishes isn't comforting enough, this bold, Mediterranean-inspired dish has coziness to spare. Green olives, parsley, and thyme are a bright and briny trio brought to earth by hearty couscous to soak up herbaceous flavors.
Hands down, Southern food is the most comforting cuisine in the world, and in our opinion, the best. We love our signature comfort foods more than we can explain to any non-Southerners—but if you're from down here, you just know. We aren't afraid to use butter, cream, or mayo to bring a meal together in a heartbeat, and autumn is the perfect time to make some of our favorite comfort foods for the whole family.
In these seasonal recipes, we're making use of some of the season's best produce, from squash and sweet potatoes to hearty, leafy greens. We've got skillet dinners, like our Beefy Butternut Squash Pasta or Potato-Bacon Hash, and sheet pan suppers (our Oven-Fried Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans is a family favorite). From casserole bakes to hardy soups and stews, and slow-cooked suppers, these comforting fall dinner recipes are sure to leave your crowd full, happy, and feeling cozy throughout the season. These are our best fall meals for a reason.