12 Amish Dinner Recipes for Hearty Family Meals

Some dinners earn a spot in the weekly rotation because they make ordinary ingredients shine: a patient broth, tender noodles, browned meat, or a gravy made in the same pan. That practical approach anchors these best Amish dinner recipes ideas.

This is a selection of 12 complete, Amish-inspired and Pennsylvania Dutch–influenced home-style dinners. It’s not a claim that every Amish community cooks a single universal menu—recipes and names vary by family, region, church district, season, and ingredient access. I’ve focused on clear, reliable methods a home cook can use today. For more cozy options, see my Southern comfort-food collection and chicken casserole recipes.

12 Best Amish Dinner Recipes Ideas for Hearty Meals

Before you begin, note which dishes use cooked versus raw meat. Several recipes intentionally rely on leftover chicken or ham, while roast, pork shoulder, stew beef, patties, and meatballs start raw and need full cooking time.

Choose by the Kind of Evening You Have

Fastest complete meal: Chicken corn soup with rivels.
Best use for leftover chicken: Chicken and dumplings or chicken and stuffing bake.
Best use for leftover ham: Ham pot pie or baked lima beans.
Best cold-weather pot: Beef and vegetable stew or pork with sauerkraut.
Best make-ahead dinner: Poor man’s steak, ham loaf, or beef meatballs with gravy.

Why These Plain Ingredients Need Precise Directions

Home-style cooking often looks simple on paper, but the useful details come from experience. A ham pot pie dough must be firm enough to roll yet hydrated enough to stay tender. Rivels should fall into the broth as separate crumbs. Drop dumplings need trapped steam—lifting the lid early produces dense centers. Those small instructions matter more than decorative finishing.

The same care applies to meat and gravy dishes. Brown patties and roasts in batches so the pan stays hot; crowded meat steams and gives a pale gravy. Add flour only after vegetables soften and cook it briefly before pouring in broth. For stews and braises, keep the liquid at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil, which can tighten meat fibers before collagen has softened.

Treat leftovers as ingredients with their own timing. Cooked chicken and ham need only heat through to a safe serving temperature, while raw pork shoulder, chuck, ground meat, and whole chicken require longer cooking for tenderness. That distinction keeps quick recipes quick and slow recipes properly tender.

Complete Amish-Style Dinner Recipes

Soups, Rivels, and Homestyle Noodles

1. Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels

Serves: 8 | Time: 45 minutes | Method: Stovetop

Sweet corn and shredded chicken make a clear, comforting soup, while tiny hand-rubbed rivels give the broth body. Add them gradually so they stay separate rather than forming one large dumpling.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Melt butter in a soup pot and cook onion and celery about 6 minutes until softened.
Add broth, chicken, corn, salt, and pepper; bring to a gentle boil.
Rub flour, egg, and milk together with your fingertips until small, irregular crumbs form.
Sprinkle rivels into the simmering soup a handful at a time, stirring between additions.
Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until rivels are tender, then stir in parsley and adjust seasoning.

2. Slow-Simmered Beef and Noodles

Serves: 6 | Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Method: Stovetop

Chuck roast cooks until it pulls into strands, then wide egg noodles finish in the savory broth. The noodles’ starch naturally thickens the pot.

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 ounces wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown in oil in a Dutch oven in two batches to avoid crowding.
Cook onion about 5 minutes and garlic for 30 seconds; return beef to the pot.
Add broth and thyme, cover, and simmer gently 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the beef shreds easily.
Shred the beef in the pot, add noodles, and simmer uncovered 8 to 10 minutes.
Let rest 5 minutes so the broth thickens, then add parsley and serve.

3. Pennsylvania Dutch Ham Pot Pie

Serves: 8 | Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Method: Stovetop

Here, pot pie means square homemade noodles simmered with ham and potatoes rather than a pastry crust. The broth should remain ladleable rather than pasty.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup water, plus more if needed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
8 cups low-sodium ham or chicken broth
3 cups diced cooked ham
1 yellow onion, diced
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Mix flour, eggs, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a firm dough. Knead 3 minutes, cover, and rest 30 minutes.
Bring broth, ham, onion, potatoes, and remaining salt to a gentle boil in a wide pot.
Roll dough 1/8 inch thick and cut into 2-inch squares.
Drop squares into the simmering broth one at a time and stir gently so they don’t stick.
Simmer uncovered 12 to 15 minutes until noodles and potatoes are tender; finish with parsley.

4. Chicken and Drop Dumplings

Serves: 6 | Time: 55 minutes | Method: Stovetop

Soft drop dumplings steam above a thick chicken-and-vegetable broth. Keep the lid closed for the dumplings’ 15-minute cook so the tops set properly.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 cups for dumplings
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons cold butter, grated
1 cup whole milk

Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven and cook onion, carrots, and celery about 7 minutes until softened.
Stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook 1 minute, then gradually add broth. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Add chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, and remaining salt. Cut in grated butter and stir in milk just until combined.
Drop 12 spoonfuls over simmering broth, cover, and cook on low 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

Meat-and-Gravy Suppers

5. Poor Man’s Steak with Onion Gravy

Serves: 6 | Time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Method: Stovetop and oven

Seasoned ground-beef patties bake in onion gravy until tender. Chilling the formed patties first helps them hold together while browning.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 cup whole milk
1 small yellow onion, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Gently mix beef, crackers, milk, grated onion, salt, and pepper; shape into six patties and chill 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown patties in oil 2 minutes per side and place in a 9-by-13-inch dish.
Cook sliced onion in the skillet about 6 minutes; add flour and stir 1 minute.
Whisk in broth and Worcestershire and simmer until slightly thickened; pour over patties.
Cover and bake 35 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more until centers reach 160°F.

6. Glazed Ham Loaf

Serves: 8 | Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Method: Oven

Ground cooked ham blended with pork makes a tender loaf finished with a tangy brown-sugar glaze. Let the loaf rest before slicing so the juices redistribute.

Ingredients

1 pound ground cooked ham
1 pound ground pork
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet.
Mix ham, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, dry mustard, and pepper just until evenly combined.
Shape into a compact 9-by-5-inch loaf on the sheet.
Simmer brown sugar, vinegar, and yellow mustard 2 minutes; brush half the glaze over the loaf.
Bake 35 minutes, glaze again, and bake 25 to 35 minutes more until the interior reaches 160°F. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

7. Roast Chicken with Brown Butter Gravy

Serves: 6 | Time: 1 hour 55 minutes | Method: Oven and stovetop

A simply seasoned chicken roasts over onions and carrots. Brown butter adds a nutty depth to the pan gravy without overwhelming the roast.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon neutral oil
2 yellow onions, cut into wedges
4 carrots, cut into chunks
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat chicken dry and season inside and out with salt, pepper, thyme, and oil.
Arrange onions and carrots in a roasting pan, set the chicken on top, and add 1 cup broth.
Roast 20 minutes, lower oven to 375°F, and roast 50 to 70 minutes more until breast and thigh reach at least 165°F.
Rest chicken 15 minutes. Pour pan juices into a measuring cup and add broth to make 2 cups of liquid.
Brown butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, then add pan liquid and simmer into a smooth gravy.

8. Pork and Sauerkraut with Potatoes

Serves: 8 | Time: 3 hours 50 minutes | Method: Stovetop and oven

Pork shoulder, sauerkraut, apples, and potatoes braise into a tangy one-pot supper. Rinsing sauerkraut is optional; draining it preserves flavor without making the dish soupy.

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained
2 firm apples, sliced
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds small potatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Season pork with salt and pepper and brown in oil in a Dutch oven.
Remove pork and cook onion about 5 minutes.
Layer sauerkraut, apples, and caraway over the onion; add broth and return the pork to the pot.
Cover and bake 2 hours. Add potatoes around the pork.
Cover and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours more until pork is fork-tender and potatoes are soft.

Oven Dinners and Slow-Cooked Pots

9. Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew

Serves: 8 | Time: 2 hours 20 minutes | Method: Stovetop

This stew depends on well-browned chuck, tomato paste, and a long gentle simmer. Add peas at the end so they stay bright green instead of turning gray.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 carrots, cut into chunks
1 pound potatoes, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions

Season beef, dust with flour, and brown in oil in batches in a Dutch oven.
Cook onion about 5 minutes; add tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
Return beef, add broth and thyme, cover, and simmer gently 1 hour.
Add carrots and potatoes and simmer covered 40 to 50 minutes until tender.
Stir in peas for the final 5 minutes and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

10. Chicken and Stuffing Bake

Serves: 8 | Time: 55 minutes | Method: Stovetop and oven

Herb stuffing sits on top of a creamy chicken-and-vegetable base so it can crisp while absorbing some broth. Use cooked chicken to keep timing predictable.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups dry bread cubes
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch dish.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook onion and celery about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
Whisk in 1 1/2 cups broth and milk; simmer until thick. Add chicken, vegetables, sage, and salt and spread in the dish.
Toss bread cubes and parsley with remaining melted butter and 1/2 cup broth; scatter over the filling.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the center reaches 165°F and the top is crisp.

11. Beef Meatballs with Brown Gravy

Serves: 6 | Time: 50 minutes | Method: Stovetop

Soft beef meatballs simmer briefly in mushroom-onion gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles to catch every spoonful.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Mix beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; form 24 meatballs.
Brown meatballs in oil in two batches and transfer to a plate.
Cook mushrooms and onion about 7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
Add broth, Worcestershire, and remaining salt and simmer until slightly thickened.
Return meatballs, cover, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until they reach 160°F.

12. Baked Lima Beans with Ham

Serves: 8 | Time: 2 hours 30 minutes, plus soaking | Method: Stovetop and oven

Dried lima beans bake with ham, tomato, mustard, and molasses into a substantial pantry dinner. Soaking and simmering the beans before baking prevents hard centers.

Ingredients

1 pound dried large lima beans
8 cups water, plus more for soaking
2 cups diced cooked ham
1 yellow onion, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes, 15 ounces
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Soak beans overnight in plenty of water; drain. Cover with 8 cups fresh water and simmer 45 to 60 minutes until nearly tender.
Preheat oven to 325°F and drain beans, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid.
Combine beans, ham, onion, tomatoes, molasses, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and 1 cup reserved liquid in a Dutch oven.
Cover and bake 1 hour, stirring once; add more reserved liquid if the pot looks dry.
Uncover and bake 30 to 45 minutes more until thick and fully tender.

A Practical Pantry for These Suppers

Ingredients That Do More Than One Job

Low-sodium broth supports soups, noodles, gravies, stews, and stuffing while leaving room to adjust salt at the end.
Flour thickens gravy, forms rivels and noodles, and gives dumplings their structure.
Onion, celery, and carrots create a flavorful base for both quick and slow-cooked meals.
Cooked ham stretches into loaf, pot pie, beans, and breakfast leftovers.
Dry bread becomes stuffing, a meatball binder, or breadcrumbs instead of going to waste.

Safe Temperatures Still Matter in Traditional Food

Use an instant-read thermometer rather than color alone. Ground beef and pork mixtures should reach 160°F; poultry and reheated casseroles should reach 165°F. Consult the USDA safe-temperature chart for current guidance.

Serve the Meal Without Overcomplicating It

Choose one main dish with starch already included, such as beef and noodles, ham pot pie, or chicken and dumplings.
Add one crisp or acidic contrast: cabbage slaw, pickled beets, apple salad, or a dressed green salad.
Offer bread only when the main dish does not already contain noodles, dumplings, potatoes, or stuffing.
Set out mustard, vinegar, or pepper so each person can adjust a rich plate.
Finish with fruit or a modest dessert rather than adding another heavy side.

For dessert in the same familiar style, consider old-fashioned pies or old-fashioned cakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch cooking?

They overlap but are not identical. Pennsylvania Dutch refers broadly to a regional German-speaking cultural tradition, while Amish communities are a specific religious group with varied local foodways. A recipe name alone doesn’t prove a single origin.

Why is Pennsylvania Dutch ham pot pie made without a crust?

In this regional usage, pot pie means square homemade noodles simmered in broth with meat and potatoes. The dish is closer to a thick noodle soup than a pastry-covered pie.

Which dinner is best for beginners?

Chicken corn soup with rivels is approachable and flexible. If you prefer the oven, chicken and stuffing bake uses cooked chicken and gives clear visual and temperature cues.

Can I use rotisserie chicken?

Yes—use it in recipes that call for cooked chicken. Remove skin and bones, measure the meat, and reduce added salt because prepared chicken may already be seasoned.

Can these dinners be frozen?

Ham loaf, poor man’s steak, meatballs, beef stew, and chicken-stuffing filling freeze well. Noodles and dumplings soften after thawing, so those dishes usually freeze less successfully; they’re better refrigerated and eaten within 3 to 4 days.

How can I reduce the salt?

Start with low-sodium broth, drain or rinse sauerkraut when appropriate, taste before salting recipes that use ham, and use vinegar, herbs, or black pepper for contrast instead of adding more salt.

Conclusion: Let the Method Do the Work

The best Amish dinner recipes ideas aren’t complicated for complication’s sake. Their strength lies in steady technique: brown the meat, simmer the broth gently, roll the noodles evenly, give a braise enough time, and check final temperatures. Begin with the ingredient you already have—chicken, ham, beef, pork, beans, or bread—and choose the recipe that uses it most completely.