50 Sunday Dinner Recipes The Family Would Never Risk Missing
Take the time to make something extra impressive this weekend!
We've all got plenty of weeknight dinners in our back pocket for any odd Tuesday, but what about those more special occasions? A fancy-ish Sunday dinner can really elevate anything you're celebrating, whether it's a holiday, birthday, or simply just making it to Sunday! Plus, the weekends are often when we’ve got more time to really tackle a fun kitchen project with friends and family, like beef bourguignon and homemade ramen. Get inspiration from our list of 50 Sunday dinner ideas that are sure to impress on a Sunday (or any day).
When we think of an impressive main dish, the first thing that comes to mind is roast meat. We’ve got tons of options for you here, like a tomato butter roast chicken, beef brisket, a rack of lamb, roast beef, a glazed spiral ham, and a pork loin roast. Don’t be intimidated, we’ve laid out all the tips and tricks you’ll need to succeed. Trust us, once you try one of these recipes, you’re going to want to make them every week! Not serving a crowd? Try one of our delicious meat dishes more fit for a smaller meal, like our coq au vin. It's a famous recipe for a reason (and super-romantic, if that’s your thing).
When we’re gearing up for the week ahead, we really crave pasta (like carb-loading for the workweek rat race maybe?). We’ve included a number of our favorite protein-filled pasta dishes here, like beef stroganoff, lemon chicken asparagus pasta, and miso Bolognese. If you’ve never attempted something like chicken pot pie or beef Wellington because it seemed too involved, no time like this weekend!
Speaking of time, we know that making adjustments to your diet is WAY easier when you control what goes into your food. If weekdays are for meat-heavy takeout lunches and delivery dinners, on the weekends try your hand at a vegetarian or vegan dish, like our vegetarian moussaka or vegan meatloaf. You might even find a new favorite among these recipes.
For more dinner inspiration, check out our favorite weeknight dinners too. If you, like us, love all our kitchen gadgets, check out our favorite recipes for air fryers, instant pots, and slow cookers that'll help you get dinner on the table fast.
Sheet-Pan Easter Dinner
Think you don’t have enough time or space to cook Easter dinner? Think again. Featuring cheesy potatoes au gratin, maple-glazed ham, garlicky asparagus, and paprika-spiced carrots, our streamlined version of this notoriously complicated meal is as simple as 2 sheet pans and 30 minutes in the oven.
Get the Sheet-Pan Easter Dinner recipe.
Feta, Spinach & Tomato Stuffed Salmon
Oven-roasted salmon is already delicious on its own, but adding a filling made of briny feta cheese, earthy cooked spinach, and savory-sweet cherry tomatoes will take your favorite fish up a few notches. To finish it off, the salmon gets topped with a mix of scallions, crushed red pepper, and yep—extra feta. You can make this a full meal with a side of crispy roasted potatoes or wild rice. If you're keeping things keto, try some cauliflower rice or zoodles!
Tomato-Butter Roast Chicken
I am firmly in the camp that everyone should know how to properly roast a chicken, and this should be the recipe you try. Tomato butter works wonders on chicken. Not only does it keep the bird moist, but the healthy dose of tomato paste brings a slightly sweet, umami acidity, which chicken could often use. Plus, there are no better veggies than ones that have been roasted underneath a chicken, collecting all of that flavor-packed schmaltz. This is a great way to add some excitement to a classic roast chicken.
Get the Tomato-Butter Roast Chicken recipe.
Perfect Roast Beef
Roast beef might sound fancy and complicated to make, but it's actually quite simple! With a good piece of meat and some simple herbs, you can have roast beef that's way more tender and flavorful than the store-bought kind.
Get the Perfect Roast Beef recipe.
Cabbage Schnitzel
A breaded fried cutlet is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and these cabbage schnitzels are no exception. Coated in crispy golden brown bread crumbs and drizzled with a luscious mushroom gravy, this vegetarian spin on a meaty classic will delight meat lovers and vegetarians alike.
Get the Cabbage Schnitzel recipe.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon & Orzo
When you’re in the mood for a one-pan dinner that delivers on the comfort food factor, this recipe with creamy orzo and sun-dried tomatoes is the one to turn to. Round out the meal with a simple green salad and serve with crusty bread for sopping up all of the creamy sauce. If you have any white wine left from deglazing the pan, feel free to pour yourself a glass alongside. 😉
Creamy Feta-Lemon Penne With Asparagus
The secret to this springy pasta’s success? A tangy “cream” sauce made with rich Greek yogurt and salty feta that provides a bright contrast for the earthy, vegetal flavors of pan-fried asparagus.
Cabbage Parmesan
If you’re reading this with doubts, please keep them at bay for a few minutes, for this cabbage Parmesan isn’t what it seems. Actually, it’s way better than what you may imagine and is a refreshing twist on chicken Parmesan that'll surely win over your Italian family and friends!
Get the Cabbage Parmesan recipe.
Beef Bourguignon
This is certainly not a quick weeknight dinner, BUT, that doesn't mean it's hard. Here's the basic rundown: Sauté bacon, sear beef in bacon fat (yum!), add veggies and stir to coat with flour, add wine and broth, transfer to oven, bake until beef is super-tender, make Julia Child proud.
Get the Beef Bourguignon recipe.
Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Truly comfort food at it’s finest, chicken pot pie represents the addictive marriage of a flaky, buttery crust with diced chicken, onions, carrots, and peas in a creamy sauce. While it's a dish that you can easily find pre-made in almost any grocery freezer aisle, we strongly believe that making your own is worth it!
Get the Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie recipe.
Pork Loin Roast
Woody herbs like thyme and rosemary infuse a lot of fragrant flavor into otherwise bland pork. Mustard is always classic (we love grainy Dijon-style!) and pairs nicely with brown sugar. Also, butter. Always butter. Switch it up with an herby sauce, a sweet and savory fig chutney, or apricots for another classic combo.
Get the Pork Loin Roast recipe.
Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragú
Make this showstopper with a custom blend of your favorite funghi! If wild mushrooms are not accessible, creminis or button mushrooms would also work perfectly. If serving for a dinner party or event, the ragú can be made up to three days in advance; just reheat gently on the stovetop while you make the polenta.
Beef Wellington
To add another layer of complexity to the finished product, brush the seared tenderloin with mustard. Feel free to use your favorite type—we love a variety with some heat like dijon or spicy brown mustard.
Get the Beef Wellington recipe.
Homemade Shoyu Ramen
Making ramen from scratch is pretty darn elaborate. Our shoyu ramen recipe calls for making four important components: dashi and tare for the soup base, and nitamago and chashu as showstopping toppings. We promise, the effort is SO worth it.
Get the Homemade Shoyu Ramen recipe.
Chicken Parmesan Pasta
The salty goodness of crisped pork belly transfers over to the leaner white meat. Toasting our panko in that same pan leads to an even more flavorful bread-crumb topping, complete with a slightly spicy, Italian-seasoned everything bagel seasoning addition.
Get the Chicken Parmesan Pasta recipe.
Baked Risotto with Lemon, Peas & Parmesan
If you’ve never made risotto because you didn’t want to stand there stirring forever, then this recipe is for you. It packs all the satisfying flavor of a slow-stirred version into a fraction of the hands-on time because you bake the risotto rather than cooking it on the stove top.
Cast-Iron Skillet Steak
Think you have to go to a fancy restaurant to eat a really great steak? Nah. You can cook a restaurant-quality steak in 15 minutes (sometimes even less) at home. The key: making sure your skillet is super-hot, and your steak super-dry and well-seasoned before the searing starts.
Get the Cast-Iron Skillet Steak recipe.
Vegan French Onion Stew
Even if you're plant-based, you can *still* get your French onion soup fix! Finishing the "cheese" toasts right in the soup pot makes for an impressive presentation, for sure. But if you’re meal prepping, it’s best to do that job on a sheet tray instead to avoid losing soggy pieces of bread in your leftovers (if there are are any, that is!)
Get the Vegan French Onion Stew recipe.
Vegan Mushroom Pot Pie
When it's cold out, a steaming hot pot pie filled with creamy, flavorful gravy, sweet and tender veggies, and topped with a shatteringly flaky crust is EVERYTHING. Here, mushrooms replace meat and are every bit as satisfying as their meaty counterparts.
Get the Vegan Mushroom Pot Pie recipe.
Rack of Lamb
If working with lamb isn't something you do often, it can seem intimidating. But trust us, it's really simple. We've got a few tips and tricks here to help you achieve this holiday showstopper.
Get the Rack of Lamb recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.
