It doesn't have the fanfare of the new year, but September feels like a reset all the same. It's a nostalgia that harks back to our school days – no matter how many years have passed, that new term, shiny pencil case feeling leaves its mark. It signals fresh starts, as well as the arrival of autumn, when the nights start to draw in and evenings spent hunkering down feel closer. After the rush of summer shindigs, weddings and holidays, September often ends up being a quieter month, when we usually stay a little closer to home and life slows down again. For parents in particular, with the kids back at school, it's a time of settling back into the routine.

While that change might inspire you to take on that extravagant recipe you've been meaning to try, or whip up an autumnal dinner party (September is one of the year's most bountiful seasons for produce, after all), sometimes it means you just fancy taking it easy. If you fall into the second camp, you're in luck – here, we've turned to our chefs to pull together some speedy suppers perfect for midweek meals this September.

Risotto is perfectly comforting for autumn, and incredibly versatile – you can use whatever you have left in the fridge. Theo Randall's version celebrates chestnuts, which might be synonymous with the festive season but are actually widely available from September. Although this recipe – as with all risottos – does need a little bit of patience (the trick is to add the stock one ladle at a time), it only takes half an hour to make.

The ultimate comfort food, Adam Gray's macaroni ham and cheese is a straightforward crowd-pleaser, particularly if you are catering for little ones. Swap in your meat of choice, whether that's leftover cooked chicken or turkey or chopped bacon. It's the longest recipe in this list in terms of cooking time, coming in at forty-five minutes, but it's so low-faff that we're allowing it.

This speedy curry from Karan Gokani takes an impressive fifteen minutes to whip up, but that doesn't mean it skimps on flavour. Mussels – which are coming into season this month – are cooked in a richly-spiced coconut milk sauce, packed with lemongrass, garlic, cinnamon and chilli. Serve it up with a bowl of rice for a guaranteed winner of a meal.

You can't go wrong with pasta when it comes to speedy dinners, and Francesco Mazzei's seafood linguine is no exception. It's one of his favourite southern Italian dishes, using prawns, lemon and parsley and is ready in just twenty minutes. Using only a handful of ingredients, it's ideal for nights when you need something delicious that doesn't require hours in the kitchen.

Chow mein is a popular Chinese takeaway order, but it's easy to recreate at home. Sally Abé's recipe takes just half an hour – she uses chicken breast, but you could sub in prawns or keep it vegetarian. The vegetables can also be swapped for whatever you have – broccoli and celery, which are both in season now, would work well, Sally says. Keep the heat down if you're cooking for kids, or finish the dish with a generous sprinkle of chopped red chilli to turn up the heat.

Adam Gray's chargrilled chicken recipe can be on the table in twenty minutes, and is packed with nutritious goodness. It uses cauliflower, which is at its peak in September, and a pomegranate dressing which adds a tangy sweetness to the dish, balancing it out perfectly.

Robert Thompson uses wonderful Isle of Wight beef tomatoes – there's still time to savour tomatoes at their best before the season ends in October – in this straightforward recipe, which pairs a zesty lime and coriander tomato ceviche with smoky, grilled mackerel fillets. Robert suggests grilling the mackerel on the barbecue – to keep things simple, you can use a griddle pan instead.

Is there a combination better suited – or more satisfying – than soup and a toastie? Nathan Outlaw pairs a watercress soup with the savoury flavours of cheese and ham, creating a meal that takes twenty-five minutes and keeps cooking to a minimum, but will leave everyone happy. If you're looking to make it veggie, ditch the ham in the toastie and make sure you're using a vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.