Sunday Lunch Menu Ideas for Family Gatherings

The Sunday roast is one of the great British traditions: a long table, a big joint of meat or a hearty vegetarian centrepiece, crispy potatoes and plenty of gravy. If you are hosting family this weekend, these Sunday lunch ideas will help you plan a menu that suits everyone, from fussy children to vegetarian cousins. We cover mains, sides, starters, puddings and a simple timing plan so the cook gets to sit down too.

Classic Roast Main Courses

A roast joint is the centrepiece of most Sunday lunches. Each meat has its traditional partners.

Roast beef

Best served with Yorkshire puddings, horseradish sauce and a rich gravy. Topside and sirloin are popular joints. Rest the meat for at least fifteen to twenty minutes before carving.

Roast chicken

The most family-friendly roast and often the most affordable. Serve with sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets and bread sauce. Chicken must always be cooked through, with juices running clear; a meat thermometer is the easiest way to check.

Roast lamb

Leg or shoulder of lamb studded with garlic and rosemary, served with mint sauce or redcurrant jelly. Slow-roasted shoulder pulls apart beautifully.

Roast pork

Look for a joint with good skin for proper crackling. Score the skin, dry it well and salt it before roasting. Apple sauce is the classic partner.

Gammon

A glazed gammon with honey and mustard or marmalade is a lovely change, and leftovers make excellent sandwiches on Monday.

Vegetarian and Vegan Main Ideas

A vegetarian main should feel like a centrepiece rather than an afterthought.

• Nut roast: a loaf of nuts, lentils, vegetables and herbs, sliced like a joint.
• Mushroom and chestnut Wellington: wrapped in puff pastry and glazed; use a vegan pastry and glaze for vegan guests.
• Whole roasted cauliflower: rubbed with spices or covered in a cheese sauce.
• Butternut squash stuffed with grains, feta and herbs.
• Lentil and root vegetable pie with a buttery or olive-oil mash topping.

Remember to make a vegetarian gravy, and cook roast potatoes in oil rather than meat fat if vegetarians are sharing them.

Essential Roast Sides

For many people the sides are the real highlight. A proper Sunday lunch usually includes most of these.

• Roast potatoes: parboil, shake in the pan to rough up the edges, then roast in very hot fat or oil until golden and crunchy.
• Yorkshire puddings: equal volumes of eggs, plain flour and milk, poured into smoking hot oil in a tin. Do not open the oven door while they rise.
• Gravy: made from the meat juices, a little flour and stock, or from roasted onions and vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
• Stuffing: sage and onion is the classic, especially with chicken and pork.
• Pigs in blankets: small sausages wrapped in bacon, loved by every age group.

Vegetable Side Dishes

A colourful mix of vegetables balances the richness of a roast.

• Honey-roasted carrots and parsnips
• Buttered peas, sometimes with mint
• Steamed broccoli or tenderstem with lemon
• Cauliflower cheese, a firm family favourite
• Braised red cabbage with apple and spices, great with pork
• Creamed or buttered leeks
• Mashed swede and carrot with black pepper
• Brussels sprouts with chestnuts in the colder months

Simple Starters

Sunday lunch is filling, so starters should be light or skipped altogether. If you want one, keep it easy.

• Prawn cocktail in small glasses
• A pot of homemade soup, such as leek and potato or tomato
• Smoked salmon on brown bread
• Melon with prosciutto
• A simple sharing board of bread, butter and olives while the meat rests

Classic Puddings to Finish

No Sunday lunch is complete without pudding, even if everyone claims to be full.

• Apple or rhubarb crumble with custard
• Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream
• Bread and butter pudding, a thrifty classic
• Lemon tart for something lighter
• Eton mess in summer, ready in minutes
• Chocolate brownies for younger guests

Menu Ideas by Season

Changing your Sunday lunch with the seasons keeps it interesting and usually cheaper.

Spring

Roast lamb with new potatoes, minted peas and asparagus, followed by rhubarb fool.

Summer

Lemon and herb roast chicken served with new potato salad, green beans and a leafy salad, finished with strawberries and cream or summer pudding.

Autumn

Roast pork with crackling, apple sauce, red cabbage and roast squash, followed by blackberry and apple crumble.

Winter

Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings, roast parsnips and cauliflower cheese, followed by a steamed syrup sponge and custard.

A Simple Timing Plan

The secret to a calm Sunday lunch is working backwards from the time you want to eat.

1. The day before: make the pudding, prepare stuffing and peel vegetables, keeping potatoes in cold water.
2. Morning: take meat out of the fridge to come up towards room temperature for a short time, as the recipe suggests, and preheat the oven.
3. Meat in: roast according to the weight and the recipe.
4. About an hour before eating: parboil potatoes and get them roasting.
5. When the meat comes out: rest it under foil, turn the oven up and bake the Yorkshire puddings.
6. Last fifteen minutes: cook green vegetables and make the gravy with the resting juices.

Leftover Ideas for Monday

A good Sunday lunch often leaves plenty behind, and the leftovers can be almost as popular as the meal itself.

• Roast meat sandwiches: thinly sliced beef with horseradish, chicken with stuffing, or pork with apple sauce.
• Bubble and squeak: fry leftover potatoes and vegetables together until crisp and golden.
• Chicken and leek pie: mix leftover chicken with a creamy sauce and top with pastry.
• Shepherd’s or cottage pie: mince leftover lamb or beef and top with mash.
• Roast vegetable soup: blend leftover roasted root vegetables with stock.
• Stock: simmer a chicken carcass with onion, carrot and herbs for a base for soups and gravies.

Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate them promptly and use them within a couple of days, reheating until piping hot all the way through.

Quick Tips for Hosting Sunday Lunch

• Ask guests about allergies and dietary needs a few days before.
• Accept help: let someone else handle the drinks, the table or the washing up.
• Warm the plates in a low oven for a few minutes; hot food stays hot for longer.
• Offer soft drinks and water as well as wine or beer, and keep alcohol sensible, especially for drivers.
• Store leftovers in the fridge within a couple of hours and use them within a few days.

Gather Round the Table

A great Sunday lunch is less about perfection and more about bringing people together over generous, comforting food. Choose a main that suits your family, add crispy potatoes, plenty of vegetables and good gravy, and finish with a classic pudding. With a little planning, you will enjoy the meal as much as your guests.