The summer seems to have fizzled out and the leaves on the trees are already starting to turn. Autumn is a beautiful time for food where old warming favourites easily top the menu. If your thoughts (like ours) are turning towards comfort food, thick soups and rich casseroles, we’ve got some great ideas to enjoy over the next few months.

Casserole is a brilliant autumn/winter dish and is really easy with frozen meat which can be cooked straight from frozen. Our favourite way of cooking casseroles is in a slow cooker – a perfect time saver. Just add meat, veg, stock and herbs to the pot in the morning and cook all day to have a delicious hearty dish, ready for tea. Frozen meat is often much better value than chilled and ready diced vegetables and potatoes make this versatile favourite a simple option for chilly evenings.

You can do all sorts with a good old casserole from frozen. Try beef, diced vegetables and a can of Guinness for a really rich broth or go fruity with pork, leeks, apples and cider – stir a spoonful of crème fraîche into this one at the end for a smooth creamy sauce.

For healthy warm-you-up lunches, look no further than the humble soup. Cut down on your grocery spend and make a batch of your own at the beginning of the week. You can freeze portions for later if you like. Frozen ready prepared vegetables are a perfect time saver and contain all the flavour and nutrients from the day they were picked.

Try cooking frozen diced carrots in stock with freshly frozen coriander – much better than the dried version and keeps for just as long – then blend with a hand held blender for a smooth soup. Another favourite is broccoli and stilton – cook frozen broccoli florets in stock and crumble in two slices of stilton. Blend until smooth and stir in crème fraîche if you’re feeling naughty.

Squashes and root vegetables are popular autumn favourites but can be a pain to prepare – you can get ready chopped frozen butternut squash, parsnips and sweet potatoes. These can be roasted in the oven with olive oil or used in soups or boiled and mashed for a healthy side dish.

Fruit pies make great puddings in autumn, easy and versatile; they’re perfect for big families and Sunday dinners. For an easy version, try frozen berry mix, topped with frozen ready rolled pastry. If you’re after something really simple – the ready-made frozen versions are great value – ready-made apple and blackberry pie is our all-time favourite!