Looking for sunday dinner ideas for families that give you something to look forward to at the table? Think browned pot roast, cheesy pasta bakes and chicken pie with a golden crust.
These dishes give you plenty to choose from, whether you’re planning a roast dinner or a help-yourself spread.
You can keep the sides simple or go all out with potatoes, vegetables and gravy. I especially love the biscuit-topped casserole below.
Pick a dinner that catches your eye, then build your menu around it.
Family dinner ideas to save for Sunday
pot roast with carrots
We’re starting off strong with this browned pot roast surrounded by carrots and potatoes. I love the rosemary and little herb sprigs against all that gravy.
If you want something extra alongside it, try slices of bread for scooping up the sauce.
golden roast chicken
How good does this roast chicken look? The golden skin has darker browned patches and scattered herbs, with juices collecting in the roasting tray.
I’d pair it with roasted potatoes and a bowl of green vegetables rather than add lots of different sides.
Read also: 20 Lunch Box Ideas for Work With Wraps, Bowls and Colorful Sides
glazed sliced ham
If you are looking for a centerpiece for your Sunday table, this one is for you. The sliced ham has a glossy reddish-brown glaze, with orange slices tucked behind it.
Try serving yours with scalloped potatoes and green beans. You don’t have to save a ham dinner for a holiday.
golden cheese-topped bake
The cheese fans are going to love this! This big tray has melted cheese all across the top, with browned spots and dark golden edges.
The filling is hidden here, but it’s lovely inspiration for your favorite family casserole.
country fried chicken
This country fried chicken may just be one of my favorites here. The golden coating peeks out beneath the gravy, with mashed potatoes and green beans filling the rest of the plate.
Follow this serving idea if you want a main and two sides without planning a whole spread.
beef and potato stew
Don’t want to put together several separate dishes? This beef stew is a lovely direction to go.
There are chunks of meat, potatoes and carrots throughout the brown sauce, plus a few green herbs on top.
I’d bring out deep bowls and serve bread on the side.
glazed meatloaf and mash
I love this meatloaf with its glossy red topping. The thick slices sit right beside a generous helping of mashed potatoes, with chopped parsley scattered over both.
Keep this pairing in mind if your family likes a classic meat-and-potatoes dinner.
roast with potatoes and onions
If you are looking for a roast with plenty going on around it, then this one is for you. There are golden potato pieces, browned red onion wedges and rosemary sprigs in the sauce.
My favorite detail is the pulled-apart meat beside the roast. Spoon some of those pan juices over each serving.
biscuit-topped casserole
I am obsessed with this biscuit topping. The golden rounds sit over a pale, saucy filling with peas, carrots and pieces of chicken showing between them.
There’s a little shredded cheese over the biscuits too. Save this idea if you like a casserole with something more than a plain top.
spaghetti and meatballs
Planning a bigger family gathering? Take a little inspiration from this tray of spaghetti and meatballs.
Red sauce covers the pasta, with grated cheese and chopped herbs scattered on top.
You can use the same serving idea on a smaller scale. Add a salad alongside it if you want another dish on the table.
roast beef and Yorkshire pudding
That Yorkshire pudding is hard to miss! It sits beside sliced roast beef, browned potatoes and a mix of vegetables, with gravy over the meat.
I especially love the variety of vegetables here. Try cauliflower, carrots and broccoli if you want to take your roast dinner in the same direction.
chicken pie with golden pastry
If you love a golden pastry crust, this chicken pie might be your favorite. The cut portion shows shredded chicken, peas, carrots and corn in a pale sauce beneath the layered top.
I’d keep the side simple with a green salad.
Read also: 20 One Pot Chicken Dinner Ideas With Rice, Pasta and Colorful Veggies
build-your-own taco spread
Don’t want to serve a roast this Sunday? No problem!
This taco spread has shells, tortillas, meat fillings and beans, with lettuce and chopped tomato toppings set out separately.
I love the bowls of guacamole and shredded cheese at the front. Choose a few toppings your family enjoys rather than feeling like you need to recreate the entire table.
stuffed pork loin
This is such a pretty way to serve pork loin. The cut slices show a band of spinach and sun-dried tomatoes through the middle, with rosemary resting on the browned top.
Try this idea when you want something a little different from a plain roast. I’d pair it with potatoes and a simple vegetable side.
short ribs over mash
How good does that sauce look over the mashed potatoes? These browned, bone-in short ribs have a glossy coating with little pieces of vegetables throughout.
The chopped green garnish is a lovely finishing touch.
sliced roast and golden potatoes
If you like bringing a platter to the table, save this serving idea. Thin slices of herb-coated roast overlap along a board, with a bowl of golden potatoes beside them.
The rosemary around the edges looks so pretty. For your own dinner, you could add a gravy jug and a separate bowl of vegetables.
cheesy baked pasta
The melted cheese in this pasta bake is hard to resist. There’s red sauce tucked around the pasta tubes, with browned meat pieces and patches of cheese throughout.
If you’re choosing between sunday dinner ideas for families who love pasta, this is one to save. I’d serve it with a simple chopped salad.
skillet shepherd’s pie
Here’s another lovely option if you want your main and vegetables together. The scoop taken from this shepherd’s pie shows a ground-meat filling with peas and carrots beneath the golden potato topping.
I love those browned edges around the skillet.
breaded cutlets with gravy
This plate takes the golden coating and gravy combination in a slightly different direction. The breaded cutlets have a deeply ridged crust, with orange-brown sauce and chopped green garnish down the middle.
Mashed potatoes and green beans sit alongside them. Keep that pairing if you want to follow the plate shown here.
roast chicken with all the sides
Last but definitely not least, we have this full roast dinner plate. There’s browned chicken, golden potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots and leafy greens, plus a Yorkshire pudding holding gravy.
Read also: 20 Side Dish Ideas to Inspire Your Next Dinner
I love how many sides are gathered here. Pick your favorites for your own version rather than feeling like you need every single one.