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
One-Pan Roast Chicken. Photo: Donal Skehan; Food Styling: Charlotte O’Connell
Time: 90 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter1 tsp olive oil8 chicken thighs8 baby potatoes, sliced in half6 sprigs of thyme4 carrots, choppedJuice of ½ lemon, slices of the other half3 garlic cloves, finely sliced250ml chicken stock150g kale leavesFlat-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
One-Pan Cheat’s Mushroom Lasagne. Photo: Donal Skehan; Food Styling: Charlotte O’Connell
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil50g unsalted butter400g mixed mushrooms (chestnut, king oyster, oyster, wild mushrooms)3 cloves garlic4 sprigs fresh thyme2 banana shallots, finely sliced25g plain flour450ml fresh chicken stock60ml double cream3 generous tbsp creme fraiche300g fresh lasagne pasta, cut in half lengthways200g baby leaf spinach50g grated mozzarella75g grated parmesanSea salt & freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Fresh green saladHandful 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.
Irish Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet with Herby Garlic Crumbs
Irish Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet with Herby Garlic Crumbs. Photo: Donal Skehan; Food Styling: Charlotte O’Connell
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
25g butter1 tbsp olive oil8 good-quality sausages1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only1 onion, finely diced1 carrot, peeled and finely diced1 stick celery, finely diced4 cloves garlic, finely sliced150ml white wine1 tsp Dijon mustard1 chicken stock cube2x400g tins cannellini beans, drained½ head sweetheart cabbage, tough stem removed, roughly chopped100ml double creamSea salt & freshly ground black pepper
For the crumbs:
200g sourdough75g butter2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only2 cloves garlic, finely choppedSmall handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Set a wide shallow casserole dish with a lid over a medium heat and add the butter and oil. Add the sausages and brown evenly on all sides for a few minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the fennel seeds, rosemary leaves, finely chopped onion, carrot and celery, along with some salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender and sweet. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the white wine and allow everything to bubble away for a couple of minutes.
4. Stir through the Dijon, and add the stock cube, then drain one tin of beans and add to the pan, pour the second tin directly into the pan, along with the liquid from the tin, and stir to combine everything. Stir through the torn cabbage and double cream, then place the sausages on top of the cassoulet and place the lid on top and place into the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes until the sausages are cooked through and the cassoulet is piping hot throughout.
5. While the cassoulet cooks, place the bread into a blender and pulse until you have a coarse crumb with some large and some smaller bits. 6. Put the butter into a large frying pan and let it melt, then add the rosemary, garlic and crumbs and stir everything together to combine. Continue to cook, stirring, until the crumbs are golden and crisp and the garlic is fragrant, then remove from the heat and stir through the parsley. 7. Serve in big bowls with crumbs scattered on top of the cassoulet, plenty of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to finish.