27 Hearty Fall Dinner Ideas (2024)

With the beginning of autumn comes the beginning of cozy-food season, when hearty dishes help us adjust to colder weather. Our ideas for fall dinner menus start to include recipes like Pasta with Pumpkin Brown Butter Sauce (made with our homemade Pumpkin Butter!), Pork Loin Braised with Mushrooms and Wine, and a one-skillet chicken pot pie that gets a boost of flavor from Dijon mustard. Turn to peak ingredients, like butternut squash, apples, and brussels sprouts. Here's how to make the most of the season with our favorite fall food ideas.

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Dutch Oven Classic Beef Stew

There's nothing better than coming home to a simmering pot of this warming stew on a cool fall or winter day. Hearty chunks of beef turn tender after a low and slow trip in your favorite Dutch oven; potatoes join the party during the tail end of cooking so they don't dissolve into the stew. Cut potatoes into similar-size pieces to guarantee they cook evenly.

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02of 27

Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Thyme

This classic chicken pot pie comes together in just about an hour and uses only one skillet. Come for the patchwork of crispy, golden-brown puff pastry; stay for the comforting, classic flavors of the filling. Leeks and thyme lend a cozy, traditional flavor to this dish, while Dijon mustard adds a subtle, unexpected punch.

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03of 27

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Crispy Capers

"Cooler weather taps into my cravings for heartier fare, and I'm happy to turn on the oven again," cookbook author Colu Henry says. "Of all the fall vegetables, it's the return of my beloved cauliflower and its elegant florets that I celebrate the most." In this recipe, cauliflower comes together with capers, garlic, anchovy, crushed red pepper, lemon zest, parsley, and Pecorino Romano to form a comforting pasta dish that's ready in under an hour.

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04of 27

Mushroom Flatbread with White Miso

Oven-roasted mushrooms bring an umami bomb of flavor, as does a two-ingredient miso, heavy cream sauce, and a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

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05of 27

Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce

In this recipe, easy-to-make gnocchi made from russet potatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and egg yolks are paired with a buttery tomato sauce laced with fresh basil.

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06of 27

Roasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Brown Butter

Pre-salting the chicken makes for savory flavor throughout and helps crisp up the skin. Browning the butter adds nutty depth to the sauce; a flourish of sumac and Aleppo chile adds a fresh, bright flavor to the finished dish.

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07of 27

Braised Duck Legs with Spaetzle and Mushroom Ragout

Inspired by German celebratory harvest meals from centuries past, this comforting braised dish trades the traditional goose leg quarters for easier-to-source duck, served on a bed of buttery-crisp spaetzle and saucy mushrooms.

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08of 27

Roasted Merguez Sausage with Apples and Onions

For this sheet-pan dinner, use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples, which hold their shape better during roasting than other varieties. Plus, their pleasant sweetness balances the intensely spiced merguez sausage.

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09of 27

Pasta with Pumpkin Brown Butter Sauce

A classic browned butter and sage sauce gets a boost of fall flavor from pumpkin butter. Be generous with the Parmigiano-Reggiano — its salty, savory bite adds the perfect hit of umami flavor to this decadent pasta dish.

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10of 27

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Garlic, and Rosemary

Dinner doesn't get simpler or more elegant than this pan-roasted chicken. To make it, a whole chicken is cut into eight pieces, then roasted with grapes, garlic cloves, and sprigs of rosemary to yield crispy-skinned chicken in a schmaltzy pan sauce that begs for a crusty piece of bread.

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11of 27

Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Hand Pies

Lightly mashed sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, tangy sour cream, and aged cheddar make up the creamy-cheesy filling for the golden, crispy pastry encasing these savory hand pies.

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12of 27

Mayan Pepita-Chicken Stew

This chicken stew is seasoned with a carefully toasted mix of seeds and spices, which are ground into a coarse paste with roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. Stirred into the stew toward the end of the cooking process, the paste both thickens and seasons this warming fall dish.

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13of 27

Roasted Butternut Squash with Chorizo-Spiced Kale

Chef Damian Sansonetti seasons thick butternut squash steaks with a chorizo spice mix of oil-bloomed cumin, Pimentón, and coriander, resulting in a smoky, sweet, and earthy shoulder-season dish.

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14of 27

Owamni Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Chile Crisp

Maple sugar lends complex sweetness to chef Sean Sherman's mouthwatering chile crisp, which he drizzles over roasted sweet potatoes.

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15of 27

Buttermilk Macaroni and Cheese with Baby Kale

A quick sauté renders baby kale leaves perfectly tender, allowing them to almost melt into the buttermilk-enriched béchamel in chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls' riff on mac and cheese.

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16of 27

Smoked Ham Hock and Lentil Soup

"I love making this lentil soup when the weather begins to cool," says Nina Compton. "The ham-hock aroma hangs around the kitchen beautifully; the smell alone makes you warmer. Adding a little ginger and lemongrass brightens the soup and reminds me of being back home in St. Lucia."

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17of 27

Pork Chops with Three-Apple Slaw

For his zippy version of coleslaw, F&W's Justin Chapple swaps the cabbage for a mix of sweet and tart apples—Gala, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith—and then tosses them with a creamy, Tabasco-laced dressing.

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18of 27

Pork Loin Braised with Mushrooms and Wine

Fistfuls of fresh herbs, fragrant strips of orange peel, and plenty of garlic perfume the wine-infused braising liquid that penetrates this essential Corsican comfort food. The resulting jus is vibrant and richly seasoned; ladle extra over the polenta on each plate.

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19of 27

Patty Melts with Charred Scallion-Chipotle Mayo

Cookbook author Molly Stevens swaps time-consuming caramelized onions for quick-charred scallions in this patty melt. Chipotle-spiked mayonnaise adds an extra dose of lushness and a punch of smoky heat.

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20of 27

Fig and Caramel Nut Tart

Rich, barely bitter caramel, deeply toasted nuts, and chewy figs combine in a buttery crust for a dessert designed for pairing with Madeira from former F&W senior food editor Mary-Frances Heck.

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21of 27

Curried Carrot and Apple Soup

This velvety soup has a wonderful balance of sweetness, spice, and tang. The secret ingredient: gingersnap cookies.

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22of 27

Pork Chops in Sage Butter with Beet Puree and Swiss Chard

The vibrant magenta beet puree that accompanies these luscious pork chops is made with almost equal parts beets and creamy Yukon Gold potatoes.

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23of 27

Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Thyme

This luscious squash-studded bread pudding is the ideal accompaniment to roasted meats and birds. To serve it as a main course, cut it into large squares and serve with a green salad on the side.

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Pumpkin Lasagne

There's no need to roast fresh pumpkin for this dish (although you certainly could); using canned unseasoned pumpkin puree is much quicker, and it works just fine. Like most lasagnes, this one is easier to cut if left to set for 10 minutes or so before serving.

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Delicata Squash and Sausage Crostata with Ricotta and Honey

In their book Wine Food, sommelier Dana Frank and recipe developer Andrea Slonecker pair funky, bright wines with flavorful, vegetable-forward dishes like this easy weeknight crostata, which layers fennel-spiced sausage, chile, delicata squash, and honey for a dinner that pairs well with a northern Italian Dolcetto.

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Cauliflower Soup with Herbed Goat Cheese

This luscious, creamy cauliflower soup from star chef Anne Burrell gets a delicious topping of crispy roasted cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

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Farro Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables

Crispy roasted root vegetables like parsnips and celery root add an earthy, caramelized depth to this simple grain salad made with tender, chewy farro.

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