Fall Lunch Recipes for a Crowd (Perfect for Gatherings): Cozy Bites That Feed a Village Without Breaking a Sweat

You’ve got people coming, appetites looming, and a calendar screaming “fall.” Translation: you need food that’s hearty, scalable, and fast. No one wants to babysit six pans while guests hover like hungry wolves. This is your playbook for feeding a crowd with maximum flavor and minimum chaos.

Think big-batch soups, sheet pan magic, and hearty sides that make your table look like a harvest festival. Ready to look like a culinary genius without a culinary meltdown?

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Big-batch friendly: Everything scales easily to feed 8–20 people without guesswork.
• Warm, fall-forward flavors: Squash, apples, sage, and maple make your kitchen smell like a cozy cabin.
• Low-stress hosting: Most components can be prepped ahead and reheated beautifully.
• Balanced menu: A mix of protein, veg, carbs, and a fresh bite so nobody crashes at 2 p.m.
• Budget-smart: Uses inexpensive seasonal produce and pantry staples—high impact, low cost.

What Goes Into This Recipe – Ingredients

Think of this as a complete fall lunch spread for 12 people. Adjust quantities up or down as needed.

• For the Roasted Butternut & Apple Soup
  • 3 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
  • 4 large Honeycrisp or Gala apples, cored, cubed
  • 2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (optional for richness)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
• For the Maple-Dijon Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage & Veg
  • 3 lbs chicken sausage, sliced into coins
  • 3 lbs baby potatoes, halved
  • 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 2 large red onions, sliced into wedges
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste
• For the Harvest Farro Salad
  • 3 cups uncooked farro, rinsed
  • 6 cups water or stock
  • 2 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta or goat cheese
  • Zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
• For the Warm Honey-Butter Cornbread (2 pans)
  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar (or less, your call)
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup melted butter (plus 1/4 cup for topping)
  • 3 tbsp honey (plus more for drizzling)
• Optional Garnishes
  • Greek yogurt or sour cream for the soup
  • Chopped chives or parsley
  • Pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
  • Lemon wedges for brightness

The Method – Instructions

1. Roast for the soup: Heat oven to 425°F (220°C).Toss squash, apples, onions, and garlic with olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Spread on two sheet pans. Roast 30–40 minutes until caramelized and fork-tender.
2. Blend the soup: In a large pot, warm the stock.Add roasted veg and apples. Use an immersion blender to puree until silky. Stir in cream or coconut milk if using.

   Adjust seasoning. Keep warm on low. FYI: Thin with extra stock if needed.

3. Sheet pan sausage + veg: Lower oven to 400°F (205°C).Toss potatoes, Brussels, and onions with olive oil, Dijon, maple, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread on two sheet pans and roast 20 minutes. Add sliced sausage, toss, and roast 15 more minutes until bronzed and crisp at the edges.
4. Cook the farro: Simmer farro in water or stock 20–25 minutes until tender with a little chew.Drain well. While warm, toss with kale so it softens.
5. Finish the salad: Stir in cranberries, nuts, feta, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.Taste: it should be bright, nutty, and slightly sweet.
6. Cornbread time: Increase oven to 425°F (220°C). Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. In another, whisk buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and honey.Combine gently. Pour into two greased 9×9 pans. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden and set.

   Brush tops with honey-butter while warm.

7. Serve smart: Ladle soup into mugs or bowls, garnish with yogurt and pepitas. Pile sausage + veg on platters. Bowl up the farro salad with extra lemon on the side.Slice cornbread thick and let the butter drip. Boom—lunch is served.

Keeping It Fresh

• Soup: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of stock.Add cream after reheating to avoid splitting.
• Sheet pan components: Keep sausage and veg separate if prepping ahead to maintain texture. Reheat at 400°F for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp.
• Farro salad: Stays great 3–4 days. Add cheese and nuts right before serving for best crunch.
• Cornbread: Wrap tightly; it’s best within 24 hours.Warm in a low oven and refresh with a swipe of honey-butter.
• Transport tip: Use insulated containers for soup and sheet pans wrapped in foil towels—DIY catering, zero stress.

What’s Great About This

• One trip, many wins: Seasonal ingredients maximize flavor and minimize cost.
• Texture variety: Creamy soup, crispy sausage, chewy farro, tender cornbread—no boredom here.
• Diet-flexible: Swap sausage for plant-based, use veggie stock, and keep dairy optional.
• Plating power: Looks like you hired a stylist. You didn’t, but your guests don’t need to know.

Avoid These Mistakes

• Cramming sheet pans: Overcrowding steams the veg. Use two pans and rotate halfway.
• Undersalting the soup: Squash and apples are sweet; you need salt and acid to balance.A squeeze of lemon at the end helps.
• Mushy farro: Don’t overcook. It should stay pleasantly chewy, not porridge-y.
• Dry cornbread: Measure flour level and don’t overmix. Pull it when the center springs back lightly.
• Timing chaos: Start the soup roast first, then farro, then sheet pans, and finish with cornbread.You’ll hit the table hot and calm. Yes, calm.

Different Ways to Make This

• Vegetarian twist: Swap chicken sausage for roasted mushrooms and chickpeas with the same maple-Dijon glaze.
• Gluten-free pivot: Use certified GF cornbread mix and replace farro with quinoa or wild rice.
• Spicy upgrade: Add 1–2 tsp chili flakes to the sheet pan mix and a pinch of cayenne to the soup.
• Herb-forward: Finish everything with chopped sage and parsley; stir a spoon of pesto into the farro for a fresh pop.
• Fancy-casual: Top soup with a swirl of crème fraîche and fried sage; add shaved Parmesan to the farro.
• Make-it-brunch: Serve with soft-scrambled eggs or a frittata and fresh cider mimosas. You’re welcome.

FAQ

Can I make this the day before?

Yes.

Make the soup, farro salad (minus nuts/cheese), and prep the sheet pan veg and sausage separately. Bake the cornbread day-of for best texture. Reheat soup and sheet pan items right before serving.

How do I scale for 20 people?

Increase all components by 1.5x.

Use three sheet pans for the sausage and veg, and two large pots for soup. Keep farro salad in two bowls so it doesn’t get compacted.

What if I don’t have butternut squash?

Use kabocha, acorn, or sweet potatoes. The flavor stays cozy, and the method is the same.

You may need a splash more stock with sweet potatoes.

Can I keep everything warm for an open-house style lunch?

Yes. Soup in a slow cooker on “warm,” sheet pan items in a 200°F oven, and cornbread wrapped in a clean towel. Keep the farro salad at room temp and refresh with lemon juice every hour.

What’s a good beverage pairing?

Hot apple cider, a dry Riesling or Pinot Noir, and sparkling water with cranberry and orange slices.

If you want a cocktail, a bourbon-apple spritz plays insanely well with maple and squash.

Any nut-free swaps?

Skip the pecans and use roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch. Same vibe, zero nut risk. IMO, pepitas are underrated anyway.

How do I add a dessert without extra work?

Bowl of store-bought ginger snaps with vanilla ice cream and warm apples sautéed in butter and cinnamon.

Five minutes, crowd goes silent. Mission accomplished.

My Take

Feeding a crowd in fall should feel like hosting with cheat codes. This lineup hits every note—sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy—without asking you to juggle six skillets or a PhD in logistics.

The soup is your anchor, the sheet pan is your workhorse, the farro is your insurance policy, and the cornbread is the closer. It’s strategic cooking with cozy energy. Make it once and you’ll keep it in your back pocket all season.