19 Cozy and Cheap Fall Dinners for Sweater Weather

These comforting recipes will fill your belly but won’t empty your wallet.

Dan Pelosi’s cheeseburger soup.Credit...Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Published Oct. 20, 2022 Updated Sept. 22, 2026

Fall is the season for pumpkin-picking, cider-sipping and apple-pie baking, but this year, as food prices continue to rise, it’s also the season for inflation-friendly cooking. Here are 19 recipes that will get you excited for seasonal produce and chilly weather, but won’t break the bank.

1. Sheet-Pan Chicken With Apple, Fennel and Onion

An overhead image of sheet pan filled with roasted fennel, apple quarters and chicken thighs sprinkled with herbs. — Credit...Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Colu Henry combines bone-in chicken thighs, apple, fennel and onion for a complete one-pan meal that’ll give you all of the autumnal feels. Use a tart apple, as it will sweeten naturally in the heat of the oven.

Recipe: Sheet-Pan Chicken With Apple, Fennel and Onion

2. Butternut Squash Soup

An overhead image of three white bowls filled with butternut squash soup sprinkled with ground pepper. To the right, two silver spoons and a gray and white striped napkin peek into the frame. — Credit...Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Silky and lightly spiced, Yewande Komolafe’s golden soup comes together with butternut squash, onion, garlic and a little ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. A splash of rice wine vinegar adds a “tangy sparkle,” which sounds downright magical to us.

Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

3. Meat and Potato Skillet

An overhead image of a skillet filled with ground meat topped with browned slices of potato and rutabaga. — Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Like a cross between shepherd’s pie and potato gratin, Melissa Clark’s meat and potato skillet is a real stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. A crisp layer of root vegetables (or potatoes if you prefer) tops a base of ground beef that’s been browned with onions, sage and spinach. To make it even more economical, substitute white Cheddar for the Gruyère, dried herbs for fresh, and do as one reader did: Substitute some (or all) of the meat with chopped button mushrooms.

Recipe: Meat and Potato Skillet

4. Ramen With Charred Scallions, Green Beans and Chile Oil

An overhead image of four black bowls filled with ramen noodles, charred scallions and green beans sprinkled with sesame seeds. A small white serving bowl is filled with a brown sesame seed sauce. Three forks are piled together in the lower right corner of the frame. — Credit...Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

In this vegan stir-fry from Hetty McKinnon, scallions are added to very hot oil to let them “bao” (to crack, explode or burst), which softens and sweetens their otherwise pungent edges. They’re tossed with stir-fried green beans and ramen noodles for a quick 30-minute meal.

Recipe: Ramen With Charred Scallions, Green Beans and Chile Oil

5. Cheeseburger Soup

A bowl of creamy soup topped with shredded Cheddar, diced tomatoes, sour cream, bacon bits and sliced scallions. — Dan Pelosi’s cheeseburger soup.Credit...Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

A friend of mine who is a mom of two boys, texted me this Dan Pelosi recipe yesterday with a real-life review: “Wow. This is really good.” You should make it, too.

Recipe: Cheeseburger Soup

6. Crisp Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter

An overhead image of a black wood-handled skillet filled with browned gnocchi and brussels sprouts sprinkled with grated Parmesan. A wooden spoon is tucked into the food. — Credit...Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Sylist: Barrett Washburne.

With over 12,000 five-star ratings, Ali Slagle’s 20-minute, one-pan gnocchi dinner is sure to be a big hit. If you have a choice, use shelf-stable gnocchi instead of refrigerated; they crisp up a bit better.

Recipe: Crisp Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter

7. Sabut Masoor (Spiced Brown Lentils)

An overhead image of a white enamel Dutch oven filled with soupy red lentils topped with a bunch of cilantro. A spoon is tucked into the food. To the right sits a serving bowl filled with rice. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Typically, dal takes about an hour to cook, but this version from Zainab Shah speeds things up by using high heat, removing extra water and cooking the masala at the same time. Serve with rice, roti or by itself.

Recipe: Sabut Masoor (Spiced Brown Lentils)

8. Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad With Pear and Halloumi

An overhead image of a white plate filled with shredded kale and brussels sprouts and seared halloumi. A silver fork is balanced on the plate. A serving bowl filled with more of the salad peeks in the upper left hand corner. — Credit...Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)

Kale and brussels sprouts, arguably the season’s most loved greens, star in this hearty salad from Yossy Arefi. Tossed with pear slices and seared halloumi, it makes for a lovely vegetarian meal. (As one reader pointed out: If you can’t get your hands on halloumi, feta will work. Just dredge it in cornstarch before frying.)

Recipe: Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad With Pear and Halloumi

9. Slow Cooker Pot Roast

An overhead image of a white platter filled with hunks of braised beef, carrots, parsnips and pickled red onion. At the bottom of the platter, a silver serving spoon and fork rest. Glasses of red wine are dotted around the platter. — Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

What is fall without pot roast? Sarah DiGregorio makes this one in a slow cooker, which means you can be gone all day and still come home to a warm meal. Beef is not particularly cheap these days, but chuck is one of the more affordable cuts, and you can stretch it by adding more vegetables to the mix.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

10. Ricotta Polpette in Tomato Sauce

An overhead image of a large white platter filled with ricotta “meatballs” in tomato sauce sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil. An individual serving sits to the right of the platter with a silver fork tucked in. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

These vegetarian “meatballs” from Anna Francese Gass are made with ricotta, bread crumbs, eggs and Pecorino Romano cheese, and poached in tomato sauce until just firm but tender. Serve with bread or, predictably, pasta.

Recipe: Ricotta Polpette in Tomato Sauce

11. Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes

An overhead shot of a Dutch oven filled with Jamaican curry chicken and potatoes. To the right is a serving of the dish with white rice in a pink bowl. — Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This spicy and soul-warming chicken dish from Millie Peartree will delight you from top to toe. One reader made a vegan(!) version by substituting extra-firm tofu for the chicken and searing it until crisp.

Recipe: Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes

12. French Onion Soup

Three white bowls full of a brothy French onion soup topped with bread and cheese sit against a gray background. — Credit...Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Sara Bonisteel unearthed this gem from a pamphlet called “Soups” that was distributed by the Food News Department of The New York Times in 1954. It still holds up, although we added a touch of sherry and wine for more complex flavor.

Recipe: French Onion Soup

13. Herbed White Bean and Sausage Stew

An overhead shot of Dutch oven filled with beans and sausage in a broth. To the bottom left are a crusty loaf of bread with a piece pulled apart and a bit of butter. To the right are some glasses of wine and white bowls for serving. — Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Every stew wishes it could be this good. Melissa Clark combines white beans with browned sweet Italian sausage, rosemary, thyme, cumin, tomato paste and garlic for a rich and comforting dish that is, at once, complex and comforting.

Recipe: Herbed White Bean and Sausage Stew

14. Cauliflower Gratin With Leeks and White Cheddar

A square, pink ceramic baking dish is filled with a cheesy cauliflower gratin. To the right is a white and blue napkin. To the left are small containers of salt and pepper, and to the bottom left is an empty green plate with a fork. — Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

In this casserole from Alison Roman, the cauliflower cooks in heavy cream — no blanching! no béchamel! — making this a low-effort vegetarian main or side dish. White Cheddar is called for here, but really, use whatever tasty cheese you have on hand.

Recipe: Cauliflower Gratin With Leeks and White Cheddar

15. Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Cabbage

An overhead shot of a large blue platter filled with pieces of roasted chicken and cabbage. — Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

In this one-pan dish from Eric Kim, a whole chicken roasts and releases its juices into the cabbage and onions surrounding it, which caramelize, soften and sweeten. Save the bones to make stock later.

Recipe: Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Cabbage

16. Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta With Kale

A dark gray ceramic baking dish is filled with shells, cheese and bits of kale. A spoon to the top left has taken out a scoop. — Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

If autumn were a baked pasta, it would be this one from Sarah Jampel. The sauce is made by simply blending canned pumpkin, cream and vegetable stock. Toss with cooked pasta, kale and grated cheese, then dot with ricotta and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Feel free to use puréed butternut squash in place of the pumpkin, or broccoli florets instead of kale.

Recipe: Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta With Kale

17. Sesame-Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

A spoon and fork rest next to a bowl full of broth, ramen noodles and shredded chicken topped by sliced scallions. — Credit...Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Ramen again! Sue Li riffs on Taiwanese instant ramen here to evoke memories of warming, late-night noodles. Bone-in chicken breasts (or thighs) provide rich flavor to the broth, and sesame oil, fresh scallions and ginger brighten things up.

Recipe: Sesame-Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

18. Cabbage, Potato and Leek Soup

A small, dark brown bowl filled with a brothy potato-cabbage-leek soup is shot from the side. To the background are another ground bowl, a piece of cheese and a grater. — Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Melissa Clark combines cabbage with leeks, potatoes and plenty of black pepper for this hearty, economical soup. The potatoes “melt” slightly in the broth, which means the finished dish tastes rich, filling and not at all frugal.

Recipe: Cabbage, Potato and Leek Soup

19. Roasted Cod and Potatoes

A white baking dish filled with pieces of cod and potato slices is shot from overhead. It sits on a blue and white tea towel against a dark gray background. To the left are a small bowl filled with lemon wedges and a small pair of tongs. — Credit...Craig Lee for The New York Times

Mark Bittman created this simple dish for one of his daughters when she was young, and “her main passion in life was potatoes, especially crispy ones.” For this recipe, peel and thinly slice potatoes, toss with butter, then roast for about 40 minutes. Ratchet the oven up to broil, lay the cod on top of the potatoes, then cook for 6 to 10 minutes until it’s done. Serve with a nice green salad.

Recipe: Roasted Cod and Potatoes

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