Fall is the perfect time to bring out cozy recipes that are sure to delight the taste buds and warm the soul. With November around the corner, depending on where you live, the weather is turning cooler and the days are getting shorter.
One of my favorite parts about this time of year is the beautiful array of colors and flavors that surround the season. Even though winter is my favorite season, I find that cozy recipes are the best way to enjoy the season of harvest, blessings, and thankfulness.
In this article, I’m going to share 8 cozy dinner recipes that I think are a wonderful way to appreciate the abundance brought to us by this delightful time of year.
Disclaimer: I haven’t personally tried these recipes. Due to living in Guam, I don’t have access to all the ingredients that I would need in order to make these recipes myself. However, with my knowledge and experience of cooking, I found that these particular recipes would be a wonderful addition to my fall recipe arsenal.
1. Slow Cooker Pot Roast
You can’t really go wrong with a hearty pot roast. From the decadent flavors to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat, a pot roast is by far one of my favorite ways to bring the cozy into my fall season.
This slow cooker pot roast recipe is brought to us by Taste of Home. Created by Gina Jackson and tested in the Taste of Home test kitchen, this recipe is sure to inspire those warm and fuzzy autumn feelings.
Ingredients:
- Water
- Beef base
- Fresh mushrooms
- Onion
- Garlic
- Boneless beef chuck roast
- Pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
To be honest, it’s truly such a simple recipe. And the best part, all you need is a slow cooker to get this pot roast cooked up and ready for a cozy fall dinner. If I were to make this pot roast, I would put it in my Instant Pot on the slow cook setting following the recipe’s instructions for temperature and cook time.
And since my hubby and I are lactose intolerant, I would substitute the butter for either margarine or vegetable shortening. The purpose of the butter is to add a fat that mixes with flour to create a gravy, as well as adding more flavor. And who doesn’t love more flavor?
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
2. The Best Beef Stew
I’ve had a lot of beef stews over the years. But after reading this Taste of Home recipe, I have to say that I’d be delighted to try it. Some of the ingredients are ones I never would’ve thought to include in a beef stew. Things like balsamic vinegar and herbs de provence.
If you love warming up in the fall with a comforting bowl of beef stew, I’m certain that this recipe will do the trick. The veggie mixture makes this beef stew hearty and nutrient-rich. As the recipe suggests, you can pair this with some warm, homemade bread to make it even more cozy and satisfying.
Ingredients:
- Beef stew meat
- Vegetables
- Flour
- Seasonings
- Red wine and beef broth
- Balsamic vinegar
Being Cuban-American, we would traditionally eat beef stew over a heaping spoonful of white rice. Regardless of how you eat it, you can make it more nutritious by eating it with whole grain bread or even brown rice. Either way, it’ll be bone-sticking delicious.
A Few Notes:
If you’d rather not cook with wine, the recipe says you can substitute the red wine by combining another serving of beef broth with about a tablespoon of vinegar. This way you still achieve that tender beef texture and added layer of acidity needed to elevate this beef stew to its top-tier level.
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
3. Meatball Submarine Casserole
I don’t know about you, but meatball subs are one of my favorite pastimes. Growing up, we did a lot of road trips to visit family. As a road trip treat, our parents would take us all to Subway where my brother would always order the meatball sub. I was always more partial to the cold cut combo until I tasted his sandwich and fell head over heels in love.
The beauty about the meatball sub is that it doesn’t need anything super fancy. You just need cooked, saucy meatballs; warm, toasted bread; and some melted mozzarella or provolone cheese. Nowadays, however, I’d substitute the dairy-based cheese with a vegan alternative, but the result will still be something to rejoice about.
If you love meatball subs and casseroles, you may very well be surprised that you can actually combine the two. In this Taste of Home recipe, Rick Friedman did just that and by happy accident no less. This recipe could also be a great potluck dish. Maybe it’ll make it into my Thanksgiving side dish repertoire this fall.
Ingredients:
- Frozen Fully Cooked Italian Meatballs
- Sourdough Bread
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Clove
- Pasta Sauce With Mushrooms
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
After reading those ingredients, my mouth is watering! This is definitely a recipe I’m going to be trying once I’m back stateside and have access to vegan cheese alternatives. (They’re not as bad as they sound, I promise.)
A Few Notes:
If you’re lactose intolerant, but still really love cheese, vegan cheese is a great way to enjoy cheese without the consequences. You can also substitute the sourdough bread for Italian to give it that traditional Subway flavor.
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
4. Easy Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash is one of my favorite autumn vegetables. It’s creamy and hearty and can be prepared in so many different ways. From roasted, or mashed like potatoes to pureed into a creamy soup, butternut squash is one of the many delights given to us by this harvest season.
In this Taste of Home recipe, Katie Bandurski tells us everything we need to know on how to both craft and enjoy this decadent fall soup.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- Vegetable broth
- Salt
- Pepper
- Whipping cream
- Sage leaves, optional
A Few Notes:
If you decide to try this soup, but are lactose intolerant like me, you can still experience the creamy, rich flavors of this soup. Simply replace the heavy whipping cream with a cornstarch slurry made with lactose free milk.
All you’d need is about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the ½ cup of lactose free milk. This way you’ll get that same thickening texture you would’ve gotten from the whipping cream, just without the consequences.
Elevate this soup by toasting up some delicious homemade bread for dipping.
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
5. Stuffed Pepper Soup
If you love stuffed bell peppers, then you’ll definitely get a kick out of this soup. It might seem strange to make something like this into a soup, but after reading the recipe, I was pleasantly surprised.
This Taste of Home recipe makes experiencing stuffed peppers so much easier. As Lauren Pahmeier states in her opening of this recipe, “this stuffed bell pepper soup is for nights that you want stuffed peppers but need supper on the table sooner rather than later.”
Ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Chopped green peppers
- Tomato sauce and diced tomatoes
- Brown sugar
- Beef bouillon granules
- Long grain rice
A Few Notes:
The best part about this recipe is that it’s fully dairy free. So I don’t need to make any substitutions. It’s also super easy to switch out the ground beef for either ground turkey or ground chicken if that’s more to your liking.
Simply follow the same measurements and cooking steps outlined in the recipe and you’ll end up with a delicious result that is sure to warm and nourish your tummy this fall season.
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
6. Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
If you’re at all familiar with risotto, then you know that making it is a labor of love. Risotto is one of those dishes that just makes the soul sing hallelujah! It’s creamy, heart-warming, and bonesticking. The best risotto I’ve personally ever had was from a wonderful Italian restaurant in North Carolina.
After reading this recipe, I’m excited at the prospect of making a risotto that won’t have me standing in the kitchen babysitting a pot for hours. This AllRecipes recipe is sure to bring that cozy, fall feeling right into your home.
Ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter
- Olive Oil
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Rosemary
- Arborio Rice
- White Wine
- Chicken Or Vegetable Stock
- Salt And Ground Black Pepper To Taste
- Parmesan Cheese
A Few Notes:
What I love about this recipe is how simple it is to follow. The ingredients are also pretty easy to find at your local grocery store. If you struggle to find the Arborio rice, though, you can always get it on Amazon.
Lastly, I’d substitute the butter and parmesan cheese for vegan alternatives.
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
7. Creamy Corn Soup
Creamy soups are so comforting and perfect for adding an extra level of coziness to the fall season. One of my favorite things about creamy soups is how easy they are to make. Most creamy soups don’t require many ingredients and are usually whipped up in a short time.
This creamy corn soup from AllRecipes is a great way to enjoy the flavors of the harvest season through a simple, heart-warming soup. Plus, if you have an Instant Pot, it’s easy to throw in all the ingredients, set it, and forget it. That’s my favorite way to cook, especially during the fall when all I want to do is relax on the couch with a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients:
- Onion
- Parsley
- Butter
- Garlic
- Flour
- Milk
- Chicken Broth
- Whole Kernel Corn
- Cream Cheese
- Garlic Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper To Taste
A Few Notes:
As with any recipe, I’ll be substituting all the dairy products with lactose free and vegan alternatives. The best part is that the Lactaid brand actually sells lactose free cream cheese that actually tastes like regular cream cheese without the consequences.
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If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
8. Easy 5 Ingredient Chili Recipe
There’s no better way to enjoy the cool, fall weather than with a bowl of chili with semi-sweet cornbread. At least, that’s how I like it. This chili recipe from AllRecipes is so simple and easy put together. You’ll be warming up in no time.
While the recipe says you can simmer this chili on the stove, I’ll be putting it in my Instant Pot so that I don’t have to think about it.
Ingredients:
- Ground Beef
- Tomato Sauce
- Kidney Beans
- Chili Beans
- Chili Powder
- Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste
A Few Notes:
I think the best part about this chili recipe is that it’s actually an excellent base for other recipes. If you like chili dogs, taco salad, or beef and bean burritos, this chili is a great way to add some hearty protein without breaking the bank.
➡️ View the full recipe ⬅️
If you decide to try this recipe, be sure to share about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
Closing Thoughts
Fall is a beautiful time of year. It’s the transition between a bright and lively summer and a cold and restful winter. The harvest season allows us to take stock of all the abounding goodness we’ve been blessed with. These 8 cozy dinner recipes are a reminder of all that is warm and inviting in the cooler fall and winter months.
I hope you find a recipe from this list that you enjoy. If you have a go-to cozy fall recipe, please share it in the comments. I’m always looking for more great recipes to warm me and my family during the sweet autumn season.
