Sunday Dinner Ideas

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All my favorite recipes for Sunday Dinner Ideas gathered together with options for side dishes and desserts as well. Sunday dinners have always been something I’ve looked forward to, and I know you’ll enjoy my family’s favorite traditional recipes, plus some new, fun, fresh flavors I’ve come to love as well.

A whole roast chicken in a roasting pan surrounded with potatoes, carrots and sprigs of rosemary.

I love the slowness of the Sunday afternoon with a roast slow cooking in the oven for dinner. There’s just something nostalgic about making something a little extra special on the weekends that makes me feel like life is slowing down for a moment in time.

I was lucky to grow up with family dinners around the table most days of the week. But on Sunday, my mom often put a pork or beef roast in the oven for a late afternoon lunch/dinner.

When we would walk back through the door hours later, you were always greeted with the most wonderful aromas filling the house. And, of course, I always looked forward to pouring a large amount of gravy over everything on my plate.

A beef roast in a crockpot surrounded by potatoes and carrots, garnished with fresh herbs.

While I still love making a roast on Sundays, I have lots of new dinners added to my collection of special Sunday dinner options. You’ll find all of our favorites below from pasta options ranging from 30 minute recipes the whole family will love, to cheesy lasagna.

I’ve also included my favorite sheet pan dinners for ‘lazy’ Sunday dinners and some slow cooker options too. Pair these recipes with simple side dishes and/or salads and desserts for entertaining.

  1. All Side Dish Recipes
  2. Salad Recipes
  3. Dessert Recipes

For the easiest ‘pre-dinner’ munching, try my Antipasto Platter. There’s no cooking involved; you just have to assemble a lovely selection to snack on for guests.

Sunday Roasts

Pork sirloin roast sitting in gravy with four slices cut out of it.

For everything you need to make these roasts a meal, my Side Dish Recipes will give you lots of inspiration. The slow cooker roasts are a full meal, but a fresh salad is nice to add sometimes. Use my Gluten Free Gravy Recipe for the traditional Sunday dinner.

One of my favorite side dish recipes is my Cheesy Mashed Potatoes because they have a make-ahead option and go perfectly with all the above recipes (except the 1st 3 with potatoes).

Favorite Comfort Food

Pizza chicken in a white baking dish topped with pepperoni slices.

These are some of our favorite (mostly cheesy) recipes to make, and most of them take less time to cook than a roast. My Side Dish Recipes make these a full meal.

One of my favorites to make with these recipes is my Roast Potatoes and Carrots recipe because it’s super simple and pairs with just about everything.

We love a good pasta dinner, and it’s one of my favorite things to make when we’re entertaining because it’s so easy. It makes a great Sunday supper paired with a salad or simple vegetable side dishes.

My tip for entertaining with pasta is to choose a recipe like my Tuscan Sausage Pasta, Chicken Pot Pie Pasta, or Marry Me Chicken Pasta, where you can prep the sauce ahead of time.

Super Easy Sunday Dinner Ideas

Garlic butter chicken thighs, cubed potatoes, and green beans on a gold sheet pan.

These recipes are my go-to’s for easy/lazy Sunday dinner ideas. There’s no need to spend too much time in the kitchen, and these are perfect for when you’re gone all day but still want something a little special.

I really love a roast cooking for 4 hours in the oven, but we make quicker meals the most often.

Sunday Soup

Beef stew in a white Dutch oven.

Make any soup dinner a full meal by adding a veggie side dish, fresh salad, biscuits, or sourdough bread. Finish with dessert and my Winter Fruit Salad for a satisfying but super simple way to have Sunday supper.

Soup is one of my favorite Sunday recipes because it’s easy to make yet cozy and inviting. I have wonderful memories of potato soup and popcorn for Sunday dinner at my friends’ house. For dessert, we would take turns turning the crank on the old ice cream churn on the back porch.

These are some of my favorite Sunday supper memories growing up. And it just proves nothing needs to be too ‘fancy’ or time-consuming to gather around the table!

My mom liked the simplicity of this dinner and adopted their potato soup tradition. So we often had our main meal (like a roast) at lunchtime, then a simple soup and popcorn dinner.

Mexican Inspired Sunday Dinners

Beef burrito bowls topped with sliced avocado, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

A Mexican-inspired Sunday dinner is one of my favorites because it’s so easy to make all the different components of a bowl, and everyone can customize what they want.

Easy of my burrito bowls listed above will give you lots of inspiration to create endless combinations for different seasons. And you might find it’s one of your favorite ways to entertain as well.

FAQ’s

What is a traditional Sunday roast dinner?

In the United States, a traditional roast is a roast meat, potatoes, vegetables, and usually gravy as well. Sometimes, the roast meat comes with mashed potatoes instead of potatoes cooked with the roast.

What to have for dinner on a lazy Sunday?

My favorite lazy Sunday dinners are pasta dishes, sheet pan dinners, and soup recipes with easy side dishes.

Tips & Tricks

  • Start simple and small, don’t overcomplicate it! I’m always reminding myself it doesn’t have to be an ‘all out’ incredible meal to enjoy gathering together. Easy, flavorful recipes are the quickest way to get started with Sunday dinners. Save the longer roast recipes for Sundays when you know you’ll be around the house all afternoon.
  • Find your favorites and make them on repeat! Once you make a recipe several times, it becomes faster and easier. I’ve made my slow cooker roasts and roast chicken so many times I rarely look at the recipe anymore. At some point, I memorized my Lasagna recipe, which made it even easier to make.
  • If you’re entertaining and making side dishes and dessert, consider choosing recipes that can be made ahead. My Cheesy Mashed Potatoes have a make-ahead option; you just need to bake them before serving. My Death by Chocolate is always a crowd-pleaser and is best made the morning before your dinner party, so it has time for the flavors to develop.
Four breaded chicken cutlets in a white baking dish topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese topped with fresh basil.

I really hope you enjoy these Sunday Dinner Ideas! If you do get a chance to make these recipes, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

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