30+ Fall Dinner Ideas
by Katie Webster
September 25, 2023 Jump To Recipe
As the weather turns cooler and the nights grow darker, these 30+ Fall Dinner Ideas will make your weeknight dinners a breeze. These simple recipes are easy enough for a weeknight, and they’re full of hearty, nourishing, and seasonal ingredients!
The start of fall means school starts up again, football is back in our lives, and our schedules are busier than ever. Here at HSR, we want to make sure you don’t miss out on enjoying simple and nourishing recipes! Even when life gets hectic!
Today we’re sharing over 30 meals that’ll satisfy your tastebuds and your packed schedule! Below is all of the seasonal fall produce you’ll want to add to your grocery list, along with a comprehensive list of recipes that range from tenderloin to tofu – and every veggie in between!
Don’t forget to check out our Creamy Turkey Soup recipe which we’ve highlighted as a standout dish. You can whip up fresh Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls to make your soup a complete meal.
Fall Produce – What is in season in the fall?
Keep an eye out for these ingredients this fall! There’s an abundance of ways to enjoy this delicious seasonal produce.
- Winter Squash and Pumpkins: Yes, we love squash year-round, but winter squash and pumpkins really shine in the cooler seasons. The flavor is most vibrant this time of year and they pair so well with seasonal spices like the cinnamon and honey combo in air fryer acorn squash.
- Apples, pears: Freshly picked apples aren’t just for applesauce and apple pie, they can also be incorporated into savory weeknight fall dinners. Pears are also picked in the fall and can be used in savory dishes too.
- Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower and Brassicas: Brussels sprouts are harvested in late summer and fall and can withstand light frost. Once picked, they can be held in storage for several months. Other cruciferous veggies like cauliflower are also great at this time of year for the same reasons.
- Root Vegetables: Autumn is a great time to incorporate turnips, celeriac and parsnips into your family dinners, along with other root veggies.
- Potatoes: It’s best to plant potatoes about 100 days before the first frost, so by mid-October, we’re drowning in potatoes. The starchy tuber is a star in fall dishes – just think of Shepherd’s Pie – and they can be stored for longer periods of time.
- Onions: Though onions are great year round, they are harvested in the fall. They are an ideal storing crop too. Just keep them in a dark drawer- no root cellar required!
- Carrots: Cooler temperatures make for sweeter carrots, so they’re most commonly dug in late August and early September. Maple glazed carrots are the perfect sweet side dish to serve with a tenderloin or pork chops!
- Garlic: This is a great vegetable for long-term storage. Keep it in a dark, cool place and your garlic will last longer.
- Leafy Greens like Swiss chard and kale: These are great in the fall because they grow relatively fast and do well in cooler temperatures. Just enjoy them before the first hard frost! Saute Swiss chard with onions for a quick and tasty fall side dish.
- Mushrooms: Fungi are plentiful in the fall! You can enjoy mushrooms as an ingredient in risotto, pasta, as a side dish, or use roasted portobello as a beef burger replacement.
- Nuts: Everything from acorns to hazelnuts are great in the fall. Make some spiced nuts or brussels sprouts with hazelnuts to highlight this fatty and nutrition-packed ingredient.
- Peppers and Eggplants: In early fall long keeping late summer produce like bell peppers, eggplants and other nightshades like tomatillos can be kept for many weeks into the fall.
- Herbs: The same goes for properly stored woody herbs picked from the garden before the first hard frost. Keep it in Ziploc bags (wrapped in dry paper towels) and they will keep for several weeks in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.
30+ Fall Dinner Ideas
This Butternut Squash Pizza is bursting with fall flavors. It is topped with sauteed squash, sweet caramelized onions, walnuts, crispy prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. Plus we’ve added a big bold pop of flavor from blue cheese and a drizzle of honey just before serving. This savory gourmet butternut pizza is a fun fall-inspired way to mix up pizza night!
I know how busy fall can be, but I’ve got your back! Check out these Roasted Potatoes with Apples, Sausage, and Maple Mustard Glaze. With just 20 minutes of prep and only one pan, you’ll be able to put a delicious kid-friendly dinner on the table without breaking a sweat.
This lightning-quick pasta dinner is our new obsession! The combination of creamy tomato sauce, garlic and fennel seeds is the perfect accompaniment to tender Swiss chard, white beans and pasta. The best part is, it’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
Here is a creamy and savory Pumpkin Risotto recipe made with pumpkin puree, brown rice, sage, and pumpkin pie spices. It is savory, a little sweet and so comforting and cozy for a meatless main course.
This creamy brussels sprouts pasta recipe has an easy carbonara sauce and is peppered with tender shredded and sauteed brussels sprouts and smoky crisp bacon. It comes together in minutes and makes an easy weeknight meal!
Serve this one-pan recipe for Chicken and Potatoes for a Sunday Supper for a small crowd or as a hands-off dinner. It is made with juicy roasted bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, tender potatoes, whole cloves of roasted garlic and button mushrooms all cooked together on one sheet pan. That means fewer dishes to do, and only 15 minutes to get it into the oven.
This Slow Cooker Beef and Porcini Mushroom Pasta is just what you’ll crave on a cold winter night. It is comfort food perfection that’s slowly braised in your slow cooker. Serve it for a crockpot meal during the week, for a Sunday Supper or as an entree for entertaining guests.
This Ground Turkey Crockpot Chili is the best ever! It is veggie-loaded and so simple to prepare. Just brown the ground turkey in a skillet, mix it into the slow cooker with the other ingredients and turn it on! Then just sit back and relax and let the crockpot do all the work.
Enjoy this seasonal twist on classic mac and cheese! This warm and hearty pumpkin mac and cheese is going to become a go-to favorite in your house this fall!
Fast family-friendly weeknight meals like this simple One Pan Roasted Squash, Apple and Sausage Dinner are so helpful to have on hand!
This Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe with Chicken Sausage, ricotta and marinara sauce is cheesy and total comfort food. With only 30 minutes of hands-on time and 45 minutes total time, these squash bowls have to be added to your weeknight dinner menu!
These pumpkin quesadillas are such an easy and delicious way to reuse your leftover pumpkin puree!
Can I just tell you how much you are going to love this Roasted Pumpkin Soup? A lot, that’s how much! Not only is it creamy and smooth, with a little sweet spice, but it’s so healthy!
This Turkey Patty Melt is made with ground turkey instead of beef- so it is a little lighter and healthier, but it still has all the hallmarks of the traditional classic diner sandwich. This comfort food classic is topped with savory caramelized onions and melted cheese all piled inside golden griddled rye bread.
It takes just a single sheet pan and 15 minutes of active time to make this One Pan Chicken with Squash and Mushrooms. It is a great recipe for busy weeknight dinners. It is naturally paleo, gluten-free and grain-free.
Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy Stew is a slow cooker variation of the classic French dish Beef Bourguignon. Full of tender braised beef, hearty veggie, and smoky bacon, this hearty stew is cooked low and slow in a rich wine sauce for one tender, melt-in-your-mouth, comforting yet elegant dish.
This Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Apple Skillet is glazed in maple and whole mustard with thyme and a splash of cider vinegar. There are peeled and quartered shallots in it too! It is fancy enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight!
This cheesy hearty butternut squash mac and cheese is the perfect blend of tender pasta, gooey cheeses and butternut squash! It is perfect for a cozy comfort food meal , for Thanksgiving or just when you are looking for new and exciting ways of incorporating butternut squash into your dinnertime menu.
Best news ever: Dinner can be ready in 35 minutes flat when this Eggplant Pizza is on the menu for pizza night! That’s faster than delivery! Everyone will love how this easy homemade pizza tastes like a combination of eggplant parmesan and pizza!
This spicy cheddar apple sandwich is full of veggies and a bit of crunch from kettle potato chips. It's packed with flavor and heat, and it will make a satisfying lunch or dinner this fall!
This Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner is one of those easy recipes that delivers delicious flavor. It is ready in just 45 minutes and it’s also a great weeknight dinner.
This low-carb dinner has gotta happen in your kitchens my fine folks! It’s Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage Ragu made with tons of veggies! It will totally satisfy when you are craving Italian, but want to keep the meal healthy and veggie-forward.
This cozy ham and white bean soup gets tons of rich, smoky flavor from ham hocks. If you happen to have a leftover ham bone from a holiday ham, then use that instead of the hocks.
Here is a favorite Sunday Supper recipe for Spatchcocked Chicken with a simple tarragon pan sauce. Serve it with mashed potatoes for a comforting classic homestyle dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Our Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie is savory, yet healthy comfort food that will give you all the cozy vibes. The rich-tasting turkey vegetable filling is baked with irresistible creamy mashed potatoes on top until they are golden and delicious. Serve it for a Sunday Supper or make it ahead for a weeknight dinner.
This Eggplant Involtini recipe is a great adaptation of the classic Italian recipe. It's lighter, healthier, and stuffed with creamy ricotta.
Prepare your tastebuds for the juiciest most flavorful chicken dinner. Our Dry Rub Spice Roasted Chicken is so simple to prepare and makes the perfect Sunday Supper. And the best part is it only takes 15 minutes to get it into the oven.
These Shepherd’s Pie Baked Potatoes are a hearty comfort-food dinner for the perfect kid-friendly meal. These loaded baked potatoes are filled with savory ground beef in gravy and corn shepherd’s pie gravy.
This apple cider maple glazed tofu is the perfect autumnal and winter main course. It'll convert anyone who has ever said they hated tofu!
These Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash take 30 minutes to make. They have 19 grams of protein and make a great vegetarian main course!
This Fall Harvest Cobb Salad with Cheddar Cheese, Apples and Bacon is a flavorful seasonal salad with spiced nuts and nourishing and hearty toppings. It is easy enough to make for lunch or a weeknight dinner and special enough to serve to house guests or company.
This Maple Cider Brined Roasted Pork Loin recipe is all that and then some. This is a pull-out-all-the-stops kind of recipe for a special meal! I have 100% confidence you’re going to love it!
This hearty and delicious recipe for vegan Harvest Vegetable Soup is made with butternut squash and kale. The herbs and seasonings pair perfectly with the tender fall veggies. This homemade vegetable soup recipe is healthy, easy and tastes amazing. It will warm you from the inside out on a chilly autumn day.
Easy Side Dishes To Pair With These Fall Dinners
More Seasonal Recipe Round-ups
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Fall Dinner Ideas
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 12 cups 1x
Description
As the weather turns cooler and the nights grow darker, here’s a list of 30+ Fall Dinner Ideas that will make your weeknight dinners a breeze. These simple recipes are full of hearty, nourishing, and seasonal ingredients, like this Creamy Turkey Soup recipe. Enjoy this veggie and protein-packed soup that’ll warm you from the inside out!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 5 cups homemade turkey stock or chicken broth* See Tip
- 1 1/2 cups green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in sage, thyme and pepper and cook stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in sherry and cook, stirring until the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in stock, green beans and rosemary and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Whisk flour and water together in a small bowl until completely smooth and lump-free. Drizzle the flour slurry into the soup, while stirring constantly until the soup is thickened and simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until all of the vegetables are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir the turkey, peas and cream into the soup and cook, stirring often, until the soup is heated through, about 3 minutes.
Notes
Tip: If using homemade stock add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the soup to compensate for the sodium in purchased broth.
To Make Turkey Stock from Scratch:
1 turkey carcass
1 ½ gallons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Place turkey carcass in a large soup pot and cover with 1 ½ gallons cold water. The turkey should be nearly or completely submerged in the water. If not, add enough so that it covers the bones. Add lemon juice and place over high heat and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the white cartilage in the breast bone and at the joints has dissolved into the stock, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Strain the stock into a large bowl and discard the bones.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Active Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
This is such a great collection of all things fall! Looking forward to giving these a try; definitely looks too good to pass up, indeed!
Thank you so much, Sara!
These all look so delicious and are perfect for fall! I’m going to be trying the maple glazed tofu this week!
Yum – maple glazed tofu is a great choice! Thank you, Anjali.
These Fall Dinner Ideas are going to make my meal planning a breeze! Thank you for a fantastic selection.
Thank you for your kind comment, Sandhya! Glad you like this selection of fall recipes. 🙂
Oh wow – so many amazing ideas! Where do I even start? 🙂 Probably I will start with Crockpot Ground Turkey Chili – it looks amazing!
Chili is an ultimate fall dinner classic! Good choice!
This list is incredible! I’m a big fan of the soup recipes. I have so many on my list to make.
Thank you, Brandi! We love the soup recipes too – this is the perfect time of year for them!