The short answer: fall dinner ideas are warm, filling meals built on in-season produce like squash, apples, sweet potatoes and carrots, plus pantry staples like beans, pasta and broth.
- 60 ideas in 8 groups: soups, chili, slow cooker, sheet pan, casseroles and more
- The best ones are cheap, easy on a weeknight and good as leftovers
- Forgotten favorites: breakfast for dinner and a baked potato bar
- Copy the 2-week fall dinner plan below
- Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).
Our picks for fall dinner ideas
Starter pickPrintables
Meal Planner & Grocery List
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
Printables
Family Recipe Binder
Section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a conversion chart - print it or type into the fillable version.
Printables
Budget Planner Printable
Twelve undated pages you can print every month: budget, bills, spending, savings and debt.
Fall dinner ideas are warm, filling meals built on in-season produce like squash, apples, sweet potatoes and carrots, plus pantry staples like beans, pasta and broth. The best ones are cheap, easy on a weeknight and good as leftovers. Below are 60 fall dinner ideas in 8 groups, the meals people forget, how to choose your week, and a 2-week fall dinner plan you can copy.
To keep the week simple, our Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) holds the dinner plan and the shopping list on one page.
The full list: 60 fall dinner ideas in 8 groups
1. Soups
- Potato soup
- Chicken noodle soup
- French onion soup
- Butternut squash soup
- Minestrone
- Broccoli cheddar soup
- Split pea soup
- Ham and bean soup
2. Chili and stews
- Classic beef chili
- White chicken chili
- Beef stew
- Turkey and bean chili
- Vegetarian three-bean chili
- Chicken tortilla soup
- Sausage and potato stew
3. Slow cooker dinners
- Pot roast with potatoes and carrots
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Apple cider pulled chicken
- Slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup
- Honey garlic chicken thighs
- Slow cooker lasagna
- Italian beef sandwiches
- Barbacoa bowls
4. Sheet pan dinners
- Sausage, apples and butternut squash
- Chicken thighs with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes
- Pork chops with apples and onions
- Salmon with roasted acorn squash
- Gnocchi with peppers and sausage
- Maple-roasted chicken and carrots
- Roasted vegetable and chickpea bowls
5. Casseroles and bakes
- Shepherd's pie
- Tater tot casserole
- Chicken pot pie
- Baked ziti
- Baked mac and cheese with ham
- Stuffed peppers
- Chicken and broccoli rice bake
6. Pasta and skillet meals
- Butternut squash pasta
- Sausage and kale orecchiette
- Creamy mushroom pasta
- Pumpkin alfredo
- Skillet pork chops with apples
- One-pot beef stroganoff
- Chicken marsala
- Cajun chicken pasta when you want peppers and a light cream sauce
7. Comfort classics
- Chicken and dumplings
- Meatloaf with mashed potatoes
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup
- Roast chicken with root vegetables
- Stuffed acorn squash
- Breakfast for dinner with apple pancakes
- Cabbage and sausage skillet
8. Cheap and leftover-friendly
- Baked potato bar
- Rice and beans with sausage
- Fried rice with leftover vegetables
- Turkey soup from a leftover carcass
- Quesadillas with roasted squash and black beans
- Pasta e fagioli
- Egg and potato hash
- Leftovers night with a "clean out the fridge" board
- Homemade pizza with fall toppings
Want more ideas by type? Browse our soup recipes, slow cooker recipes, sheet pan dinners and easy dinner ideas.
Fall dinners people forget
These are easy wins that rarely make the meal plan:
- Breakfast for dinner. Apple pancakes, eggs and bacon cost little and kids love it.
- A soup and sandwich night. One pot of soup plus grilled cheese covers two nights.
- A baked potato bar. Set out chili, cheese, broccoli and sour cream.
- Stuffed squash. An acorn squash filled with rice, sausage and cranberries feels special for very little.
- Leftover makeovers. Roast chicken becomes pot pie or soup later in the week.
- A freezer meal. Make a double batch of chili or stew and freeze half.
How to choose your fall dinners for the week
- Start with the calendar. Mark busy nights first and give them the slow cooker or leftovers.
- Pick one soup or chili. It makes extra for lunch.
- Pick one sheet pan dinner. It's the fastest weeknight cleanup.
- Pick one casserole or pasta bake. Make it on the weekend and reheat it later.
- Reuse produce. Use one butternut squash in two meals, or one bag of apples across dinner and dessert.
- Add a leftovers night. It cuts waste and gives the cook a night off.
- Write the shopping list by section. You'll make one trip instead of three.
Fall dinner menus: a 2-week fall dinner plan
| Day | Week 1 | Week 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Slow cooker pot roast | Slow cooker white chicken chili |
| Tuesday | Sheet pan sausage, apples and squash | Sheet pan chicken thighs and Brussels sprouts |
| Wednesday | Leftover pot roast sandwiches | Quesadillas with leftover chili |
| Thursday | Potato soup and grilled cheese | Minestrone and garlic bread |
| Friday | Homemade pizza | Breakfast for dinner |
| Saturday | Shepherd's pie | Baked ziti |
| Sunday | Roast chicken with root vegetables | Chicken and dumplings |
Store leftovers in the fridge within two hours of cooking and eat them within three to four days, as the USDA's leftovers and food safety guide recommends. Freeze anything you won't eat by then. Cook chicken to 165°F and ground beef to 160°F, the safe minimums on the FoodSafety.gov temperature chart.
How to keep fall dinners on budget
Seasonal food is often the cheapest food in the store. These habits keep the grocery bill steady:
- Build around in-season produce. Squash, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and apples are usually at their best prices in fall.
- Buy whole chickens or bone-in thighs. Roast once, then use the bones for soup.
- Use beans and lentils to stretch ground beef in chili, tacos and soups.
- Shop the pantry first. Check what you have before you write the list.
- Set a weekly food budget and track it. Our budget categories list shows where groceries fit in a full budget.
Printables for planning fall dinners
- Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. Write the week's dinners and the shopping list side by side.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Keep the soup and casserole recipes your family asks for every fall.
- Budget Planner Printable, $5.99. Give groceries a monthly number and see where the rest of the money goes.
Browse all our Printables. Planning a holiday meal next? Start with our Thanksgiving food list.
On a chilly night, smothered pork chops simmered in gravy are pure comfort food.
Make an evening of it with one of our 75 fall activities, from leaf walks to movie nights.
More cozy ideas: pumpkin chili, bean-free keto chili and an easy batch of fall snacks.
Feeding a crowd? Our fall potluck ideas cover dishes that travel well, and our pumpkin stew is a hearty one-pot beef dinner for chilly nights.
Sweet potatoes are at their best in fall; our sweet potato recipes include easy weeknight mains and sides.
For a cozy weeknight, try our beef stroganoff or a bubbling chicken pot pie.
Plan the week's meals and shop once
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
$3.99 · Instant download. Print at home or fill it in on screen. Or browse the full Home & Organizing collection.
Frequently asked questions
What are some easy fall dinner ideas? Easy fall dinner ideas include chili, white chicken chili, potato soup, sheet pan sausage with apples and squash, baked ziti, pot roast in a slow cooker, chicken and dumplings and grilled cheese with tomato soup. They use cheap in-season produce like squash, apples, potatoes and carrots, and most make leftovers for lunch. Start with one soup, one slow cooker meal and one sheet pan dinner each week and you'll cover most busy nights.
What is a good fall dinner for a family? A good fall family dinner is warm, filling and easy to stretch, like a big pot of beef stew, a pan of shepherd's pie, a baked pasta or a slow cooker pot roast with potatoes and carrots. These feed four to six people, reheat well and let kids build their own bowls or plates. Pair them with bread or a simple salad and the meal is done.
What vegetables are in season in the fall? Fall produce includes butternut and acorn squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, apples, pears and cranberries. In-season produce is usually cheaper and tastes better, so build your fall dinners around two or three of these each week.
What are cheap fall dinner ideas? Cheap fall dinners lean on beans, potatoes, pasta, rice, eggs and whole chickens. Try chili, split pea soup, ham and bean soup, potato soup, baked potatoes with toppings, sausage and cabbage, minestrone or a big pot of chicken noodle soup. Many of these cost a few dollars per serving and make two meals.
What are good fall slow cooker dinners? Good fall slow cooker dinners include pot roast, beef stew, chili, white chicken chili, pulled pork, chicken tortilla soup, split pea soup and apple cider pulled chicken. Add the ingredients in the morning and dinner is ready when you get home. See our slow cooker recipes page for more ideas and timing tips.
What are healthy fall dinner ideas? Healthy fall dinners pair lean protein with roasted vegetables and whole grains. Try sheet pan chicken with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, turkey chili with beans, lentil soup, baked salmon with roasted squash, or a big minestrone. Roasting brings out natural sweetness, so you need less butter and cheese.
What are cozy fall dinners for two? For two, try stuffed acorn squash, a small pot roast, pork chops with apples, French onion soup, a half batch of chicken and dumplings or a skillet pasta with sausage and kale. Most soup and stew recipes halve easily, and leftovers make a good lunch the next day.
What can I make for a fall dinner party? For a fall dinner party, serve something that cooks hands-off, like braised short ribs, a pot roast, a big lasagna or a roast chicken with root vegetables. Add a fall salad with apples and pecans, crusty bread and an apple crisp. Having the main in the oven or slow cooker lets you spend time with guests.
What are good fall soups for dinner? Good fall dinner soups include potato soup, chicken noodle soup, French onion soup, butternut squash soup, white chicken chili, minestrone, split pea soup and broccoli cheddar. Serve with bread or grilled cheese to make a full meal. Our soup recipes page has the full list.
How do I plan fall dinners for the week? Pick five dinners: one soup, one slow cooker meal, one sheet pan dinner, one pasta or casserole and one leftovers night. Write them on a weekly meal plan, then list the ingredients by store section. Reuse ingredients across meals, like a squash for both a sheet pan dinner and a soup, to cut waste and cost.
What are fall dinner ideas with ground beef? Fall ground beef dinners include chili, shepherd's pie (often called cottage pie with beef), stuffed peppers, sloppy joes, tater tot casserole, cabbage roll soup and baked ziti with meat sauce. Ground beef stretches far in soups and casseroles. See our ground beef dinner ideas for more.
What are fall dinner ideas with chicken? Fall chicken dinners include chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, white chicken chili, sheet pan chicken with apples and squash, chicken noodle soup and apple cider braised chicken thighs. Thighs stay juicy and cost less than breasts. Our chicken dinner ideas page has more.
Can I freeze fall dinners? Yes, you can freeze many fall dinners. Chili, stews, most soups without pasta or cream, shepherd's pie, baked pasta and pulled meats all freeze well for about two to three months. Cool them quickly, freeze in flat bags or labeled containers and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
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Sources
- Leftovers and Food Safety (USDA FSIS) fsis.usda.gov
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (FoodSafety.gov) foodsafety.gov