Mary Berry's best-ever dinner recipes

Stuck for dinner ideas? We've picked out our favourite Mary Berry recipes for a brilliant meal.

Author of more than 75 cookery books and one of the most-loved chefs in the UK, Mary Berry certainly knows a thing or two about creating excellent recipes. Here, we've selected her best-ever dinner recipes, from crowd-pleasing classics to a showstopper centrepiece for a special occasion.

Chicken casserole

A dish you can cook and serve in one pan, this chicken casserole is a definite midweek winner. Juicy chicken thighs are paired with bacon and mushrooms, and then covered in a luscious gravy-like sauce for a dish that's deliciously comforting, especially in colder weather.

Love to Cook/BBC Books

Salmon and dill burger

Salmon and dill is a match made in heaven and this burger is a great alternative to a classic beef patty. Paired with a tangy lemon caper mayo and pickled dill cucumbers, the patty itself combines smoked and poached salmon for a more intense flavour. You can also serve the burger without the bun for a more healthier dinner.

Braised lamb with sweet potato

A hearty stew ideal to fill you up during the colder months, this is full of flavour and perfect for feeding the whole family. If you need to feed an extra person or stretch the leftovers just a bit longer, simply add another can of drained beans.

Simple Comforts/BBC Books

Orange-glazed ham with mango and orange salsa

For a real showstopping centrepiece, you can't go wrong with this beautiful glazed ham. The gammon can be simmered very slowly on the hob, if you prefer, and it's served with a refreshing mango and orange salsa. 

READ MORE: Mary Berry's best-ever dessert recipes

Onion, artichoke and sage tart

Tart is an overlooked dinner option but it's brilliant, especially when it incorporates big, hearty flavours and is served with a light green salad on the side. Mary Berry's take on a veg tart features plenty of delicious mushrooms, fragrant herbs and onion wedges that come out of the oven perfectly caramelised. It's the ultimate comfort food.

Simple Comforts/BBC Books

Lamb tagine

Incorporating lots of warming spices and many store cupboard favourites you won't have to splash out on, this lamb tagine is very easy to make. You can throw together all of the ingredients in an ovenproof casserole and let the flavours infuse and do their magic. Then, once it's ready to serve, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and have a bowl of fresh cous cous on the side.

Mary Berry's Quick Cooking/BBC Books

Shepherd's pie

A family favourite for decades, you can't go wrong with Mary Berry's shepherd's pie. One of the most comforting dishes you could make, the combination of savoury meat and veg with an umami kick, topped with creamy mash is absolute heaven. Conveniently, much of the cook time is hands-off, in an oven, so you're free to do other things in the meantime.

Chicken pot pie

Another excellent one-pot wonder is this classic chicken pot pie. Packed with tender meat and colourful veg, it's topped with crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth pastry for the ultimate dinner satisfaction. There's no need to make pastry from scratch and you can vary the vegetables according to the season and availability too.

Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook/DK

Chicken with pesto and roasted tomatoes

An excellent traybake that will look great on a dinner party table, the chicken is topped with a cheese, pesto and basil mix and paired with juicy tomatoes, bursting with flavour. It looks great, it doesn't take long to cook and the chicken can be prepared ahead of time and even frozen once topped with the cheese mix.

READ MORE: Mary Berry's best-ever cooking tips

Beef wellington

This easy-to-follow recipe makes cooking an intimidating dish like beef wellington a lot more manageable. Superb for a special occasion, the succulent beef is wrapped in a rich liver pâté and mushroom stuffing as well as crisp puff pastry. No soggy bottoms here!

Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook/DK

Quiche Lorraine

Ideal for a lighter dinner when served with a big bowl of green salad on the side, a classic quiche Lorraine will be a big hit with the whole family. There's something very comforting about the combination of salty bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese and pillowy egg mixture.

Toad in the hole

You won't go wrong with Mary Berry's classic toad in the hole. In this recipe, Mary cuts the cooking time by using ready-made sausage meat and serves it with a simple onion gravy – perfect for the colder months.

Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook/DK

Tandoori chicken

A great recipe to cook in the oven or even chuck on the barbecue, weather permitting, this tandoori chicken draws its flavour from warming aromatics, like cloves and ginger, as well as hot curry powder. It's best served with rice, naan and a relish of red onion, coriander and tomatoes.

READ MORE: Genius cooking tips from our favourite TV chefs

Shepherd's pie dauphinois

Why not combine two of the most comforting dishes into one? This version of a shepherd's pie is topped with an indulgent layer of potato dauphinois rather than traditional mash. It does take a bit longer to cook, but the satisfaction of eating this layered wonder is well worth it.

Lead image: BBC/Endemol Shine UK/Craig Harman