As the season changes and the days start getting colder, we look for warmth and comfort in the food we eat everyday to see us through the milder months. Be reacquainted with the familiarity of a rich beef stew, or a midweek family favourite like chicken pasta bake. We also make sure to celebrate the best of autumn produce, like apples, leeks and pumpkins.
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1. Yorkshire puddings
There’s definitely a knack to making the perfect Yorkshire puddings. Our key to a golden, crispy pud is to make sure the fat is sizzling hot before adding the batter and don’t open the oven door once they’re in. Best served on a Sunday with your beef roast.
2. Slow cooker beef stew
This family favourite slow cooker beef stew is brilliant for busy weekdays. Put the stew on in the morning on low, or if you’re working from home, you can do this at lunch time ready for a filling evening meal. Serve with soft, buttery mash and greens, if you like.
3. Pumpkin soup
Food doesn’t get much more autumnal than pumpkin. A warming bowl of our easy pumpkin soup makes a great dinner party starter, lunch or light dinner. For extra texture, top with croutons and toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Pumpkin pie
This traditionally American dessert is getting more attention on our side of the pond and is a great way of using up your Halloween pumpkin. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg this delicious pumpkin pie is a brilliant family dessert option for the weekend.
5. Best apple crumble
Our best ever apple crumble recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Enjoy the taste of sweet apple topped with crispy, buttery crumble. We include an additional topping of rolled oats and Demerara sugar for an additional crunch. Serve with a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream or hot custard.
6. Chilli con carne
Our ever-popular chilli con carne recipe has to be one of the best dishes to serve to friends for a casual get-together. It’s an easy sharing favourite that uses up storecupboard ingredients. The addition of dark chocolate gives an even greater depth of flavour. We also like to leave the chilli to stand the heat for a few minutes at the end so that the flavours can really develop.
7. Dorset apple cake
If you’re more of a cake than a crumble person, then our Dorset apple cake might be the dessert for you. This rustic sweet apple bake is topped with a sprinkling of demerara sugar and best served with lashings of warm custard.
8. Leek & potato soup
As we delve deeper into soup season, it doesn’t get much more familiar than leek and potato soup. This easy seasonal soup makes the most of autumn veg and would make a wonderfully warming starter, lunch or light dinner.
9. Chicken pasta bake
Enjoy this crowd-pleasing gooey cheese & chicken pasta bake for the ultimate weekday family dinner. You can serve this up straight from the dish and let everyone dig in.
10. Toad in the hole
This comforting classic is made with chipolata sausages and a simple batter. It’s a great recipe to choose in you want to get the kids involved in the cooking more. Serve our popular toad in the hole with thick gravy and veg.
