September is here along with the welcome shift of routines. The stretch of all those long summer evenings tightens, and suddenly there’s a familiar pull-back to school runs, busy evenings, and the reliable chaos of the dinner table.
This week’s recipes are about food that makes that transition feel comforting. Family crowd-pleasers that don’t try too hard, weeknight wins that feel a little more special, and recipes that bring us gently into the new season.
One-tray Sunday roast chicken dinner is exactly what you want in your back pocket this time of year. Roast chicken without the ceremony, but all the satisfaction. The chicken thighs stay juicy while baby potatoes soak up all the good stuff – white wine, lemon zest, garlic and your choice of greens to keep things bright. You’ll only need one tray, but it delivers everything you want from a ‘proper’ dinner. Great for Sundays, even better on a Monday with leftovers to keep you going.
The one-pan cheat’s mushroom lasagne does away with layering and leaning over the oven, but keeps all the pay-off. It’s rich and creamy, with a double hit of cheese and a herby bechamel that comes together quickly. The trick here is using fresh lasagne sheets that cook straight in the sauce. It’s comfort food without the usual 90-minute commitment. Add a sharply dressed salad and a glass of red, and that’s dinner done.
Lastly, an Irish sausage and white bean cassoulet with herby garlic crumb that feels fancy but is the recipe you make when you want a meal that feels slow-cooked without actually being slow-cooked. Browning the sausages gives you flavour from the start, and the base is a familiar mirepoix with just enough Dijon and wine to lift it.
Tinned beans and cabbage go straight in, and the real genius is in those crisp rosemary breadcrumbs scattered on top – the kind of finishing touch that turns it into something you’d happily serve to friends.
These are dinners that understand the brief: comforting, reliable and smart enough to bring you back around the table, even when everything gets busier.
One-Pan Roast Chicken
Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs
- 8 baby potatoes, sliced in half
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- 4 carrots, chopped
- Juice of ½ lemon, slices of the other half
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 250ml chicken stock
- 150g kale leaves
- Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
1. Place a large high-sided frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter and oil.
2. Season the chicken thighs generously and place skin side down in the pan with the baby potatoes and thyme sprigs. Allow the chicken thighs and potatoes to cook out without moving for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken skin goes a deep golden brown colour and the skin turns crisp.
3. Flip the chicken and potatoes, add the carrots, lemon slices and garlic cloves and fry for 2-3 minutes, shuffling in the pan until the garlic is just tender.
4. Add the chicken stock and bring to a steady simmer. Add the kale leaves and cover with a lid. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked all the way through, the potatoes and carrots are tender and liquid has reduced slightly.
5. Serve straight to the table with a good squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of flat-leaf parsley.
One-Pan Cheat’s Mushroom Lasagne
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 50g unsalted butter
- 400g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, king oyster, oyster, wild mushrooms)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 banana shallots, finely sliced
- 25g plain flour
- 450ml fresh chicken stock
- 60ml double cream
- 3 generous tbsp creme fraiche
- 300g fresh lasagne pasta, cut in half lengthways
- 200g baby leaf spinach
- 50g grated mozzarella
- 75g grated parmesan
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
- Fresh green salad
- Handful parsley, finely chopped
Method
1. Heat the grill to a medium-high heat.
2. In a large ovenproof saute pan, heat half the olive oil and half the butter over a medium-high heat and fry the mushrooms for five minutes until they are golden and a little crisp. Add the garlic and thyme and fry for a minute more and then tip onto a plate.
3. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and gently fry the shallots for five minutes until softened. Add the rest of the butter and, when melted, add the flour and cook out for one to two minutes.
4. Gradually add the stock until you have a smooth, thick sauce, then add the cream and creme fraiche, and season well with salt and pepper.
5. Bubble for 2-3 minutes, then add the pasta and mushrooms into the pan. Simmer together for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the spinach and allow to wilt. Scatter with the cheese and pop under the grill for 2-3 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad and a sprinkle of parsley over the lasagne.
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