30 Fall Dinner Recipes For A Cozy Night In
Sweaters, falling leaves, a crisp breeze — all signs that fall is finally here. As we say goodbye to ice-cold drinks, barbecues, and sunny picnics, it's time to warmly welcome chilly nights burrowed inside, the comforting, crackling fireplace lit, and a warm, nourishing meal to match. From robust soups and savory stir-fry to pasta, hearty meat pie, and everything scrumptious in between, fall is all about indulging in rich, delightful comfort foods.
When preparing dinner for a cozy, special night at home, we want spices, embracing warmth, and satisfying fullness. We're not likely to say no to a hearty, delicious meal any time of the year, but something about autumn has us craving that nostalgic comfort of home cooking. So dig out those soup pots and reliable slow cookers. Here, we've compiled some of our all-time favorite, cozy dinner recipes for this colorful fall season to enjoy with beloved family and cherished friends or during a quiet, peaceful night alone.
1. Easy Chicken Stir-Fry
This quick and simple stir-fry is made with chicken, peppers, broccoli, and snap peas with an extra crunch from cashews. It works as a great base for a wide range of dishes, so you can easily switch it up by using a different protein or adding any other vegetables that you like. With flavors that are easy to build upon, like soy sauce, ginger, honey, and garlic, the sauce is also easily amped up with extra heat or other aromatic spices. After creating your favorite combination, serve this stir-fry with noodles or rice.
Recipe: Easy Chicken Stir-Fry
2. 1-Skillet Salisbury Steak
Anything that requires just one skillet to cook the entire meal has the perfect makings for a cozy night in. This low-maintenance Salisbury steak is made in one pan, leaving you with more time to enjoy a satiating meal and less time spent cleaning up afterward. A few common pantry ingredients, such as ketchup, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and various seasonings, come together with ground beef, onions, and mushrooms to make a flavorful, saucy dish. This Salisbury steak is delicious with side dishes like mashed potatoes, green beans, or even warm soft bread rolls.
Recipe: 1-Skillet Salisbury Steak
3. Egg-Stuffed Meatloaf
For most meatloaf recipes, you'll need a binding ingredient such as eggs to help shape and hold the loaf together. This meal takes that concept to the next level by stuffing a hard-boiled egg inside of the meatloaf. Aside from the upgrade, this meatloaf is made traditionally with ingredients like ground beef, ketchup, bread crumbs, and seasonings. Before you form it and bake it, you just stuff two peeled, hard-boiled eggs in the center and fold them inside. Once it's out, you top it with shredded carrots for a unique topping and serve the meatloaf with your favorite side dishes like potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or baked beans.
Recipe: Egg-Stuffed Meatloaf
4. Pasta With Classic (No Cream!) Alfredo Sauce
This simple alfredo pasta requires only five ingredients: butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and noodles such as tagliatelle or fettuccine. Instead of using cream like other Alfredo sauces, this recipe takes a little of the pasta water with butter and cheese to make the creamy sauce. Since it's a basic recipe, you can easily elevate it with herbs like parsley, oregano, or basil. You could also simply pop in some cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or capers to bring some extra flavor to the classic dinner.
5. Broiled Flat Iron Steak
For this hearty meal, a thinner cut of steak is marinated and broiled for less than 10 minutes. The longest part of the preparation for this recipe is marinating the meat. Still, it's a simple marinade made of oil, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce amplified with the kick of garlic powder and onions. Of course, you can use your own favorite steak marinade if you want to experiment. After hours of marinating plus a few minutes of broiling on each side, serve this tender steak with a baked potato or roasted veggies.
Recipe: Broiled Flat Iron Steak
6. Classic Lasagna
Say goodbye to the big boxes of family-sized frozen lasagna with this deliciously simple recipe for the traditional pasta dish. In a little less than two hours, you can make an entire lasagna to share from scratch. All that this recipe calls for is a beef ragu, melted mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and the time it takes to assemble. Lasagna is one of those dishes that's possible to make ahead of time and store inside the fridge until you are ready to bake it; it is also a great meal to freeze or refrigerate for leftovers.
Recipe: Classic Lasagna
7. Easy Beef Stew
Fall is the perfect time for stew. This incredibly easy beef stew is rich, hearty, and extra tender. You can use stew beef, which is pre-cut for exactly that, or you can use another kind of beef chuck and cut it into small cubes yourself. The stew gets its richness with the help of wine, tomato puree, and beef broth. Add in various veggies, seasonings, the browned beef, and then this is where things get interesting. Instead of slowly simmering it on the stovetop, you're going to bake this stew in the oven for about three hours or until the beef becomes tender.
Recipe: Easy Beef Stew
8. Traditional Chicken Tetrazzini
If you're unfamiliar with tetrazzini, it's a pasta dish that usually uses linguine, spaghetti, or egg noodles in a creamy sauce, often with mushrooms. Chicken soup, cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom are typical ingredients for this dish, but ours calls for chicken broth as the base of the sauce. Our recipe uses fresh mushrooms instead of canned, as well as onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and a bouquet garni herb blend to build flavor.
Recipe: Traditional Chicken Tetrazzini
9. Classic Chicken Tikka Masala
Warm, savory, and spiced chicken tikka masala embodies everything that we love about fall cuisine. Even though it's just as delicious outside of the colder months, tikka masala is perfect for chilly nights curled inside. Incredibly easy to master, this recipe calls for traditional aromatic spices like garam masala, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and turmeric in a rich base of heavy cream and tomato sauce. Simmer it all together slowly with Greek yogurt-marinated chicken breasts, and you've got a tikka masala that goes perfectly over a bed of rice or served with naan bread.
Recipe: Classic Chicken Tikka Masala
10. Meaty Sloppy Joes
These made-from-scratch sloppy joes are just as quick as the canned kind, with a burst of fresh flavor. With ingredients like bell peppers, onions, and garlic, you get a fresh crunch with a bite of spice. The other ingredients needed are common pantry items, like tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Mix and cook it all with seasoned ground beef to get a hearty, messy meal worthy of its name. Generously top some toasted hamburger buns with the sloppy joe mixture and serve with any type of fried potato, coleslaw, or salad.
Recipe: Meaty Sloppy Joes
11. Garlicky Shrimp Scampi
The tang of white wine and lemon with the spice of garlic and chili flakes make up the main flavors of this shrimp scampi dish. With so few ingredients, it's remarkably easy to prepare — and fast. In just 10 minutes, you can perfect this traditional shrimp scampi. A recipe this simple and quick is adaptable to upgrades, so have some fun making it your own. While you can serve shrimp scampi on a bed of noodles, it's just as delicious on its own or with a piece of crusty bread to dip into the sauce.
Recipe: Garlicky Shrimp Scampi
12. Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin
With just olive oil and a dash of an array of herbs and spices, you're ready to swiftly prepare this irresistibly delicious roasted pork tenderloin dish. After gently coating the pork in the oil and seasonings, the oven does the rest of the work in less than 30 minutes. Super easy and packed with flavor from garlic, onion, and chili powders as well as thyme and rosemary. Pork tenderloin is versatile and easily can be served with your choice of anything from mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables to spaetzle or apples.
Recipe: Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin
13. Classic Steak Diane
A good steak Diane starts with a perfectly chosen cut of steak, and after that, this recipe is all about bringing delectable savoriness to the dining table. Our creamy sauce uses cognac, beef broth, Dijon mustard, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce alongside a splash of heavy cream. The rich sauce meets the sautéed flavors of mushrooms and shallots to create the epitome of comfort food. You can garnish this classic steak entrée with sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme, and serve it with mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus, or other roasted vegetables.
Recipe: Classic Steak Diane
14. Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
Crispy, juicy chicken Parmesan is elevated with a stuffing of mozzarella cheese in this recipe. You'll prepare the chicken much like usual — dredge it in eggs, flour, and panko or breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese. The important difference is that you'll want to create a pocket in the chicken breast before you start. Sear the coated chicken before stuffing the mozzarella inside the pocket, and then finish it off in the oven with tomato sauce to keep it nice and juicy. Serve with your favorite kind of noodles — we like pasta shells with this one.
Recipe: Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
15. Comforting Chicken And Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings are one of the ultimate comfort foods, and this recipe is no exception. Bone-in chicken breasts amp up the flavor of this soup, and a simple mixture of flour and butter is all it takes for the biscuit dough. If you don't want to season and cook your own chicken breasts, grabbing a premade rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and then shredding it is a quick way to get juicy, flavorful meat for the broth. Add some chopped veggies, herbs, and spices, and start simmering for only around 10 minutes.
Recipe: Comforting Chicken And Dumplings
16. Chicken Chile And Cheese Enchiladas
Warm and hearty, these enchiladas are made with a pressure cooker, which makes the chicken exceptionally juicy, tender, and easy to shred. Only a few ingredients are needed, such as onions, cheese, and tortillas, as well as canned chiles and enchilada sauce, which make up most of the heat. Everything except the cheese and tortillas goes into the pressure cooker, and then you just assemble the enchiladas before covering them in more enchilada sauce. We like to top ours with cilantro, avocado, and sour cream, but you could also use your own garnishes or serve it alongside rice or black beans.
17. Classic Lamb Shepherd's Pie
In this recipe, a warming mixture of onion, carrots, garlic, peas, and ground lamb is seasoned with rosemary and thyme. The fatty richness of the lamb pairs perfectly with a creamy topping of mashed potatoes and melted cheese. This recipe takes a little bit more time than some of the other recipes, but it feeds a full table and makes for great leftovers. It doesn't necessarily need a side since it combines veggies, meat, and potatoes in one dish, but an extra dose of roasted vegetables like asparagus would certainly pair nicely.
Recipe: Classic Lamb Shepherd's Pie
18. Vegetarian-Friendly Pea And Spinach Carbonara
If you're looking for something less meat-and-potatoes and more vegetarian, this pea and spinach carbonara pasta is the recipe to try. With so many simple, fresh flavors, it shows that meat isn't needed to make a comforting meal. For the creamy sauce, you just combine eggs, butter, and Parmesan cheese with various seasonings. Then add in linguine, peas, and spinach for an easy vegetarian pasta dish that is easily taken to new heights with your own creativity. Swap out the spinach for kale or the peas for asparagus, and get the same crunch with the freshness from the greens.
19. Red Wine Beef Short Ribs
Beef short ribs and red wine come together in a perfect pairing for this recipe to make a luscious sauce with tender meat and vegetables. After searing and seasoning the short ribs, let the beef, carrots, celery, and onions braise slowly in a sauce of red wine and beef broth inside a large pot or Dutch oven. After about three hours, the beef should be fall-apart tender and ready to serve over mashed potatoes or alongside arugula salad. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for an extra splash of color.
Recipe: Red Wine Beef Short Ribs
20. Slow Cooker Meatballs Marinara
You're going to need your slow cooker for these meatballs, which cook for about four hours in a hearty marinara sauce. If you're someone who likes to make dinner ahead of time, then this recipe is ideal. Before the meatballs go into the slow cooker, you'll need the time to form them with traditional seasonings like Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning or assorted herbs. If you need to speed up the time, this meal can be ready to eat with some spaghetti in about two hours using the high setting.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Meatballs Marinara
21. Veggie Coconut Curry Ramen
This vegetarian recipe combines the delicious flavors of coconut and curry in a broth of ramen noodles. Comforting and aromatic, this ramen dish calls for ginger, garlic, curry powder, curry paste, and coconut milk to bring sweet heat to the veggie broth. Several veggies go into the soup, such as shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, and scallions, but you can add your own, be it sweet potatoes, onions, broccoli, spinach, or cauliflower. Combine the spiced, veggie-filled broth with a heaping of ramen noodles, and you've got a warming soup perfect for fall.
Recipe: Veggie Coconut Curry Ramen
22. Parm-Style Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
By combining chicken Parmesan, spaghetti, and casserole, this recipe masters comfort food. Instead of breading the chicken as you do with traditional chicken Parmesan, you sear the seasoned chicken and cut it into pieces before mixing it with red pasta sauce, herbs, spaghetti noodles, and a heaping of mozzarella cheese. Everything bakes together casserole-style until the cheese is gooey and golden brown, and you've got an all-in-one spin on the classic that can feed the family for days. You could easily serve it with a crisp, green salad to balance the rich, hearty flavors.
23. Baked Ranch Chicken
With the savoriness of baked chicken and the zest of the ranch, this recipe gives a tangy twist to comfort food as well as a healthier adaptation of deep-fried chicken. To coat the chicken, you'll only need a handful of ingredients — salt, pepper, a packet of ranch dressing, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs. Instead of using eggs, this recipe calls for Greek yogurt to bind the coating, adding another tanginess level. As versatile as it is, this chicken can be served alongside vegetables and potatoes, or it could be chopped for a salad.
Recipe: Baked Ranch Chicken
24. Cheesy Baked Ziti
Another baked pasta delight, this ziti recipe holds all the cheesy goodness we hope for in a comforting pasta dish. A simple mixture of ground beef, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, onion, garlic, and tomato sauce is covered with melty cheeses and baked until golden. With a recipe this simple, you can easily change up the ingredients or add some in. The sweet heat of bell peppers could add a mildly spicy crunch, or different cheeses could add another kind of creaminess. Any way you experiment, this recipe belongs in your regular dinner rotation.
Recipe: Cheesy Baked Ziti
25. 1-Pot Chicken And Rice
In just one pot, chicken and rice come together with peas, onions, carrots, and spices to create a cozy meal for a single serving or an entire dinner party. It all depends on how many chicken thighs and how much rice you can fit into your high-sided skillet. Cover the pan to get everything evenly cooked, and within just about half an hour, you'll have an easy, tasty meal and very few dishes to wash at the end. Pair this with crusty bread and a glass of white wine for perfection.
Recipe: 1-Pot Chicken And Rice
26. Classic Fideo
Fideo is a specific type of Mexican noodle that is browned before being covered in a sauce. Our recipe follows this traditional method and calls for a savory sauce made of chicken broth, tomato sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. After browning the noodles to bring out their natural flavor, you boil them in the sauce until they finish cooking. While this recipe doesn't call for anything beyond the noodles and sauce covered in melted Mexican cheese, you could incorporate ingredients such as ground beef and potatoes to give the meal an even more comforting appeal.
Recipe: Classic Fideo
27. Vegan Tofu Stir-Fry
In this meatless stir-fry, red bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and fried tofu come together with a sweet and salty sauce made of soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger. This saucy veggie dish is delicious with a bed of rice, lo mein, or ramen noodles without the broth. You can also substitute any vegetables you want, like snap peas or green beans, or alter the sauce to have more heat with hot paprika or cayenne.Serve with a side of steamed dumplings and a cool, refreshing cucumber salad to complete this delightful Asian-inspired meal.
Recipe: Vegan Tofu Stir-Fry
28. One-Pan Chicken Marsala
If you thought chicken Marsala was a dish that you could only order from a restaurant, this recipe is chicken Marsala made easy. With all of the few required ingredients going into one pan and cooked within 20 minutes, this scrumptious dish is worth a try. Our recipe for the classic sauce calls for Marsala wine, chicken broth, and heavy cream, plus mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Savory Italian seasonings blend perfectly with the creaminess of this dish, making it a comfort meal perfect when served with noodles, roasted vegetables, or classic basmati rice.
Recipe: One-Pan Chicken Marsala
29. Classic Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe
Most of us are familiar with spaghetti, but for those who don't know about cacio e pepe, it is a sauce that literally translates as cheese and pepper. The combination of the two takes a hearty, red sauce-style spaghetti noodle and turns it into a simple, plain, but delicious cheesy pasta. For this easy recipe, you only need five ingredients: spaghetti noodles, salt, pepper, butter, and pecorino Romano cheese. Add an extra burst of flavor from additions like cherry tomatoes or capers, or enjoy this pasta all by itself.
Recipe: Classic Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe
30. Vegan Enchilada Casserole With Chorizo Tofu Crumbles
This meat-free enchilada casserole blends Mexican flavors of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and oregano to create a chorizo tofu while also combining two of some of the ultimate comfort foods: enchiladas and casserole. The chorizo tofu is crumbled on top of baked enchiladas, which are stuffed with well-seasoned bell peppers, onions, and black beans and smothered with enchilada sauce. No meat is needed for this meal to bring the warmth and coziness we love in fall cuisine. Additionally, top it with fresh cilantro, green onions, and diced avocado for freshness.
Recipe: Vegan Enchilada Casserole With Chorizo Tofu Crumbles