Best Sunday Dinner Ideas

Sunday is a great day to cook a wonderful dinner and share a meal together with family and friends.  The key is to make Sunday dinner recipes that are crowd-pleasing and simple. Sunday dinners are also all about comfort foods and often slow-cooked entrees that everyone loves.  Having the day to prepare great appetizers, sides, entrees, and desserts for a multiple-course home-cooked meal is a satisfying and delicious way to bring people together.

I am sharing my favorite recipes to cook and serve for a traditional Sunday night dinner. All of these recipes are tasty homemade classics great to make for family and friends which are ideal dinner ideas for a Sunday night.  Even though many recipes have a serving size of 4-6 they all can be doubled or tripled easily and still turn out perfect when hosting a crowd.

There is Something for Everyone!

There are Sunday dinner ideas for all sorts of diets too; including gluten-free, keto, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, or paleo.  Many of these meal recipes are kid-approved so get them involved in some cooking and preparing. That will guarantee that the Sunday dinner tradition in your home has even more meaning as you create those kitchen memories.

Jump to:

• What is a Traditional Sunday Dinner
• Sunday Dinner Appetizers & Drinks
• Sunday Dinner Soups, Salads & Vegetables
• Potatoes & Other Sides
• Sunday Dinner Entrees
• Sunday Dinner Desserts
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• Sunday Dinner Ideas for Special Diets
• Best Sunday Dinner Ideas

What is a Traditional Sunday Dinner

It is believed to have started in the UK with a traditional Sunday roast.  But Sunday dinner is a tradition in many countries and cultures.  For example, my Italian family has sat around many Sunday suppers that typically included antipasti, pasta with a slow-cooked Sunday gravy "sauce/ragu", some sort of meat like sausages/meatballs/roast, bread, salad, and lots of fruit and wine for dessert. Italian Sunday dinners are a big part of a family and some of these recipes are perfect to serve.

An American family meal on Sunday can vary based on which part of the country the family is living in and/or their heritage. For instance, in the South, it may include soul food like cornbread, greens, fried catfish, baked mac & cheese, and cobbler.   Therefore, I have included a list of the best Sunday supper ideas that include comfort foods, including many ethnic recipes; Italian, Mexican, Indian, and more.

Read more to find out the ORIGIN OF SUNDAY DINNER. 

Sunday Dinner Appetizers & Drinks

Here are the best appetizers that are ideal to make and serve for your next Sunday supper.  Choose one or more depending on how many you are feeding and what the rest of your dinner menu is. I have also included a few cocktails that you may want to add as well and serve your guests.

Sunday Dinner Soups, Salads & Vegetables

Here are the best soups, salads, and side dishes that are tasty to make and serve for your next Sunday's supper.  Choose one or more depending on how many you are feeding and what the rest of your dinner menu is.  Make these a first course or side since they all go well with Sunday dinner.   The salads are great summer Sunday dinner recipe ideas for when you do not want to cook or heat up the house.

Potatoes & Other Sides

Here are some comforting potato sides. Along with some baked goods and rice ideas, these ideas go well with just about anything you serve up for Sunday dinner. Try one or more of just make one of my favorite easy side dishes, a baked potato cooked in the toaster oven.

Sunday Dinner Entrees

Here are the best main dishes that are great dinner ideas for Sunday night.  There are comfort food classics and a variety of international flavors on this list.  Some are simple to make and go in a CrockPot or Instant Pot for the ultimate in lazy Sunday dinner ideas.

Others are traditional recipes that may be staples in your family already but have a new twist to try. Think of plates of pasta, roasts, smoked meats, and more.

Sunday Dinner Desserts

Here are the best desserts to make and serve for your next Sunday supper.  Choose one or more depending on how many you are feeding and what the rest of your dinner menu is. There is no better way to end a Sunday dinner than with a sweet treat from this list of recipes.

 

Sunday Dinner Ideas for Special Diets

All these recipes are great for Sunday suppers and ideal for those following a special diet or lifestyle. This list of the best keto, low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, or vegan diets.  The gluten-free lasagna has been on the blog for years and is still a top 10 recipe for good reason - OMG delish! For more recipes, check out High Protein & Low-Carb Recipes.  

Keto, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, or Grain-Free Sunday Dinner Recipes

Vegetarian, Vegan, or Dairy-free Sunday Dinner Recipes

These vegetarian and vegan Sunday dinner recipes will become a new family meal tradition.

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