Autumn family dinners
Autumn doesn’t get better than comforting soups, curries and stews. Tuck into these hearty dinners, perfect for family meal times.
Looking for autumn family dinner ideas? As the leaves start to turn and there’s a chill in the air, why not treat the family to our heartiest meals this autumn? The all-important butternut squash features in our favourites, as does slow-cooked meat in rich sauces, one-pot chilli, traybakes, creamy risotto and filling soups.
With work or school commitments, family dinners can be tricky to navigate, so we’ve listed flexible dinners that require varying degrees of effort. Packed full of nutrients, autumn dinners ought to be both warming and filling, made to suit individual tastes.
We have collections for autumn vegetarian recipes, and vegan, too, including some delicious dairy-free desserts. Our autumn recipes are regularly updated with seasonal dishes, as well as our spiced autumn cakes and warming desserts. For beverage accompaniments to your meals, dive into our warming autumn drinks and mocktails. Get your pantry well-stocked for the season with our top autumn storecupboard essentials.
Our favourite autumn family dinners
1. Butternut squash & sage risotto
A vegetarian classic, this seasonal risotto is full of comforting, autumnal flavours. It's super easy to make, and ready in under an hour – perfect for a family meal during the week. Check out more butternut squash recipes for hearty curries, soups and pies.
2. Aubergine & chickpea stew
An easy, plan-ahead recipe, this aubergine & chickpea stew is a vegan classic guaranteed to satisfy. Warm up some flatbreads, sprinkle over some pine nuts and you’re good to go. Find more cold-weather-classics with our vegan stew recipes, or try our vegetable or beef stews.
3. Creamy pumpkin pasta
Blend puréed pumpkin with mascarpone and parmesan to make a creamy sauce to coat rigatoni. It's the perfect autumnal family dinner for cosy weeknights. Try more pumpkin recipes.
4. Lamb & chickpea soup
Packed with your five-a-day, this lamb & chickpea soup is full of hearty veg, pulses and succulent lamb – making second helpings irrestible. The recipe is easily doubled, great for a big family dinner or batch cooking. Try more sensational soup recipes, as well as our best hearty soups for colder months. To truly embrace autumn, try out one (or more) of our silky pumpkin soups.
5. Spinach, sweet potato and lentil dhal
This nutritious one-pot dhal is great for a balanced meal during the week. It's full of iron and contains all of the good stuff for kids and adults alike. Our vegetarian recipe collection is full of dinners like this, and our delicious dhal recipes are a treasure trove of spiced, satisfying dishes.
6. Slow-cooker beef stew
This tender slow-cooker beef stew is the definition of autumnal food. With loads of vegetables, herbs and spices, expect the family to be wowed by its rich flavours, best served atop a pile of buttery mash. Try more beef stew recipes, or get a plant-based protein injection with our brilliant bean stews.
7. Smoky sausage & squash traybake
Smoked paprika, harissa and honey transform sausages and seasonal squash into a satisfying yet simple dinner, for which your oven does most of the heavy lifting. Try more of our easy traybakes to lighten the load on busy weeknights.
8. Lamb, aubergine & halloumi hotpot
Lamb mince is slow-cooked with garlic, ginger and aromatic spices to make a dish that's greater than the sum of its parts, complete with an impressive-looking aubergine and halloumi layered topping. To get ahead on weeknight dinners, this dish can be frozen for up to three months. Discover more of our time-saving freezable family recipes.
9. Veggie sausage casserole
Make a comforting vegetarian one-pot with vegetarian sausages, carrots and butter beans, flavour-boosted with a drizzle of green pesto. Serve with crusty bread for dunking. Discover more vegetarian one-pot recipes.
10. Baked pork, apple & cheddar meatballs
Who can resist a warming bowl of meatballs and rich tomato sauce, especially when the meatballs are oozing with molten extra-mature cheddar cheese? This dish makes a fun weekend dinner that little hands can get involved with, too – and the meatballs can even be made in advance and frozen, if needed. Discover more meatball recipes.
More dinner inspiration...
Autumn vegetable salad with saffron dressing
Squash, chickpea and coconut curry
Chicken pasta bake
Stuffed pumpkin
Creamy pumpkin pasta
Tell us your favourite autumn family dinners in the comments below...
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