A simple snack to throw together, these aubergine and halloumi wraps deliver on flavour with minimal effort. With just a few ingredients needed to make these delicious morsels, you don't need to blow your budget either. We promise your guests won't be able to stop at just one...
These moreish tarts have everything to whet your appetite – they're salty and savoury with the pleasant creaminess of mascarpone and the deliciously crumbly pastry as the perfect vessel for all the flavours and textures. You could substitute Stilton for any blue cheese, like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, just know that the intensity of the flavour will differ.
A great canapé to serve when you don't have much time as it only needs 10 minutes to put together, these rye bread squares with salmon gravadlax, crunchy and sweet red onion and tangy capers create a symphony of textures and flavours in your mouth. Freshened up with chopped dill and a zesty dill dressing, these make a wonderful pre-dinner mouthful.
Surprise your guests with this creative modern take on a retro canapé. The creamy tahini filling is balanced with zingy lime juice, sumac and za'atar, meaning these are no classic devilled eggs. Big on flavour, it's another great canapé that won't take much time to make and doesn't need a lot of ingredients as you might have most of them in your spice rack and kitchen cupboard already.
Full of bright and spicy Caribbean flavours, this corn chowder is perfect for autumn as the warmth from the spices is delightful with the sweetness of the corn. Making the most of the corn harvest too, this delicious soup will bring lots of colour and joy to your dining table.
A quick starter to serve up if you haven't had much time to plan ahead, all you'll need is a whole Camembert, a couple of garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary. Within minutes in the oven, you'll have a fragrant gooey, cheesy dip that's perfect served with a crusty baguette, perhaps a chutney, charcuterie and other crudités.
Light yet filling, this flavoursome warm salad will set your dinner party up for success. Piquant rocket is combined with caramelised roasted sweet potato bites and tangy blue cheese with roasted mushrooms giving the dish a punchy umami kick. You could also serve this as a side, as it'll taste great with most roasted meats.
Inject a load of colour into your dinner party with this pretty rainbow vegetable tart. A combination of classic autumn roots like parsnip and beetroot with softer vegetables like courgette and onion, everything is combined in a delicious pastry case. You can use ready-rolled pastry if you're short on time and get creative with the arrangement of the vegetable ribbons. Serve each slice with some dressed green salad.
Clam chowder might seem like an intimidating dish to make but as soon as you've done it once, you'll go back to it again and again. An unbeatable classic, this soup is creamy and hearty – perfect for cosy gatherings on colder and darker autumn evenings. Serve with a crusty bread or oyster crackers New England-style.
A definite crowd-pleaser, this traditional Greek dish takes a bit of time to cook, however, most of the cooking is done in the oven so you're free to get on with other things. There is no classic moussaka recipe as every Greek family has their own, but the most common versions include a mix of vegetables and minced meat – whether you make it with lamb, beef, pork or a mix is up to you.
This quick salmon dish is packed with big flavours even though it doesn’t need a long prep or cook time. The rich salmon is topped with a zingy and savoury pine nut, caper and saffron salsa that helps to cut through the fattiness of the salmon. You could serve the dish with a variety of salads and couscous on the side for a quick, mid-week gathering.
You just know that if you've got a room full of meat lovers, there's nothing better you could serve than a classic steak. It's actually one of the easiest meats to cook right if you know how to do it and a medium to medium-well steak doesn't take long to cook either. Serve with oven-baked potato wedges and a tangy garlic butter that will add extra flavour and juice to the meat.
This fail-safe recipe ensures a perfectly crispy crackling and succulent meat that will look fantastic as a centrepiece. Serve a selection of roasted veg sides – think potatoes, carrots or squash – and a homemade apple sauce. This recipe does involve resting the meat overnight so reserve it for special occasions when you've got more time to get stuck in the kitchen.
If you've got vegetarians to feed, there's no better option than this upside-down rice dish. Called maqloubeh in Arabic, it's of Middle Eastern descent and is essentially layers of red peppers and aubergines topped with spiced rice. It's then flipped out of the pan once cooked, meaning the vegetables on the bottom are all soft and caramelised. It's also a great side to many meat and fish dishes, meaning everyone can enjoy it.
A creamy, comforting chowder-like stew is topped with a buttery puff pastry lid in this recipe that's guaranteed to be a hit with seafood fans. Made with sweetcorn and potato, the crayfish can be substituted with an equal weight of any cooked fish or shellfish, or even lobster tails, if your budget stretches that far. Perfect to warm up on a chilly autumn evening, it's also a breeze to make.
Pork belly roast is one of the most comforting and delicious oven-roasted meats when cooked right and this recipe does just that. Rolled up porchetta-style, the pork belly is filled with a nutty stuffing and cooked on top of garlicky roast potatoes – what more could you want for a proper Sunday lunch feast?
Aubergines are a great vessel for many different flavours and this particular vegetarian dish can also be served as a side to meat roasts. A delicious traybake, this aubergine chilli combines chickpeas and red kidney beans with chilli, cumin and bubbling melted cheese in the ultimate veggie comfort food. Any leftovers can be eaten cold or reheated for lunch the next day.
A lighter and simpler alternative to the classic potato variety, this semolina gnocchi recipe is a great accompaniment to meat. Although you can't cut corners when making this recipe as the time on the hob and how much you've beaten the mixture is crucial to the gnocchi holding their shape when in the oven, it's well worth the effort. You can jazz the dish up with some brown butter and sage or tomato sauce.
Liven up your dining table with these colourful and fun hasselback potatoes. Topped with salty feta crumble and spicy peri peri dressing, it's a great side for a whole roast chicken. The recipe needs just under an hour of cooking time, however, if you're efficient with your prep, you'll be able to put all of the components in the oven at the same time just leaving you to do the assembly of the dish once everything's cooked.
A great side for meat, creamy greens and roasted celeriac will go fantastically well with anything from pan-cooked chicken breasts to pork loin steaks. If serving with meat, make sure to pour the meat juices over the veg for extra flavour and then serve the meat sliced over the kale and cubed celeriac. With minimum prep time, the cooking is done in the oven so you can focus on other dishes in the meantime.
Another colourful vegetable dish, these rainbow carrots couldn't look any more appetising. If you can't find rainbow carrots, don't worry, regular orange carrots will work just as good. It's best to make this an hour or so in advance so the carrots have time to soak in the herby flavours of the moreish yogurt dressing.
A simple yet exciting enough dish to serve with many meat roasts, this recipe couldn't be easier to make. The different textures and flavours of the veg and nuts will complement each other well while the ready-made sauce makes cooking this dish even quicker. A good option for when you need to feed a crowd on a budget, the recipe takes just half an hour in the oven.
Celebrate the season's favourite stone fruit with this lip-smackingly delicious almond cake. Whisked egg whites and very little flour make the cake incredibly soft and almost weightless while the ground almonds add a lot of moistness to it. The batter can be prepped well in advance and you can experiment with the fruit too, depending on availability. Serve with custard, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
What's autumn without a classic pumpkin pie? The traditional pumpkin pie spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves – complement the sweet pumpkin well and together is essentially the flavour of autumn captured in a pie. Serve with whipped cream and watch your guests polish the plates clean.
This irresistible cake, bursting with juicy blackberries and a hint of brandy, is one of the easiest you could ever make. You could easily bake it a day in advance, ready to be served with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a little crème fraîche the next day. Make sure you don't skimp with the berries, otherwise the cake won't be as moist and flavoursome as it should be.
Make the most of your muffin tin with this delicious coffee, cardamom and walnut cake recipe. Bake the cakes as you would regular muffins, then, when cooked, simply flip them round and cover with the icing to reveal individual cakes. They'll look as if you've put in a lot more effort than you actually have, and the icing will glide off the top attractively.
A great sweet treat to serve alongside tea and coffee after a meal, these madeleines are pretty to look at and even more enjoyable to eat. Combining refreshing orange, slight spice of cardamom and ground almonds, these madeleines will disappear in seconds. Although you will have to buy a special madeleine baking tray, it's well worth the investment as you'll want to make these delicious morsels again and again.
When you need a cake that's big enough to feed a crowd and won't cost you a lot, this cherry sheet bake recipe will come in handy. To cut costs, you can use frozen cherries (and they're more widely available as well), while the rest of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. A simple bake to make, the combination of the tart cherries and sweet yet tangy dark chocolate is perfect for finishing a meal on a high.
If you love a classic mojito, you'll be an even bigger fan of this autumnal take on the famous cocktail. This is a sugar-free and alcohol-free version, however, you could mix it up with a little bit of rum for a more grown-up drink. Just as exciting as the original, this apple mockjito is also supremely thirst-quenching and refreshing.
Nothing says party like fizz and this non-alcoholic cocktail is perfect for getting the evening going. With all the fizz you could ever want, the sweet pomegranate is freshened up with fragrant rosemary. Want an alcoholic version? Simply swap the non-alcoholic sparkling wine for an alcoholic one.
Take a look at these 36 super simple recipes anyone can cook
A refreshing tequila cocktail, classic margarita is not only super delicious, it's also really fun to make. Get your guests involved in making their own cocktail and don't forget about the salt-rimmed glasses – an absolute must if you're making margaritas. Even though it's not too autumnal, a margarita will definitely get the party started.
Discover the 30 secret ingredients professional chefs swear by
Somewhere between a cocktail and a dessert, this creamy, sweet drink is the perfect after-dinner treat. A combination of Baileys almande, apricot syrup and coconut milk, this cocktail is also vegan, meaning anyone can enjoy it. You could make it with a classic Baileys, however, it will no longer be vegan.
Now read the 27 must-try cheats to help you cook for a crowd