22 Easy Weeknight Dinners for October
In October home cooking takes a turn. Comfort food is knocking; it’s time to crank up the oven and bring your slow cooker out of hibernation. This is the month for roasted vegetables, brown butter-everything, bubbling stews, and pumpkin. Did we mention pumpkin?
The good news: you don’t need to spend a whole Sunday afternoon cooking to make dinner feel cozy. These October weeknight dinner ideas are all about leaning into the season without making it a project. There’s a chickpea saag that tastes like it’s been simmering all day (it hasn’t), a smoky one-pan pasta made with the dregs of your pantry, and a few hearty soups because chilly nights are officially back.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely1/22Gochujang Yogurt Chicken
Greek yogurt tenderizes the chicken quickly, but the real weeknight win is the broiler: just 15 minutes under high heat, and you’ve got dinner.
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Nicole Louie2/22Spiced Beef Taco Bowls
Every component for these taco bowls is meal-prep friendly: Refrigerate the salsa and spiced beef separately in airtight containers, keep a stash of your favorite toppings on hand (tortilla chips!), and assemble when ready for a swift lunch or easy dinner.
PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG, FOOD STYLING BY ANNA BILLINGSKOG3/22Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs With Tomatoes and Chickpeas
This one-pan dinner keeps things easy: juicy meatballs, jammy tomatoes, and crisp chickpeas all roast together so both prep and cleanup are minimal.
Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley4/22Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry
This speedy stir-fry recipe brings together thin strips of boneless pork shoulder and crisp-tender bok choy for a dinner that’s satisfying and weeknight-ready.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness5/22Green Curry–Glazed Salmon
Canned green curry paste does most of the work for a dish that tastes as if you tried much harder than you did.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Christina Allen7/22Roast Cod With Chorizo Crisp
This easy sheet-pan dinner pairs tender cod with a savory chorizo topping. Big flavor, minimal effort, and only one pan to wash.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boystova8/22BA’s Best Linguine and Clams
Need a date-night dinner this month? This briny, bright pasta feels restaurant-worthy, but is secretly so easy.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness9/22Chickpea Saag
Quick to come together thanks to canned beans and frozen spinach—and any leftovers taste even better the next day.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks10/22Adobo Mushroom Tacos
Set out toppings—like salsa, sour cream, and cilantro—and let everyone build their own tacos. It makes for an easy, hands-off dinner and is a fun way to get the whole table involved.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht12/22Crispy Tofu With Peanut Sauce
Inspired by satay, this saucy, lip-smacking tofu dish comes together in 30 minutes and is made in just one skillet—which means cleanup is a breeze.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley13/22Butternut Squash Orzo With Fried Sage
Canned butternut squash purée (find it by the canned pumpkin!) makes this cozy, cold-weather recipe come together in a snap. Vegetable broth (and certified vegetarian parm) keep it vegetarian, but chicken broth works if that’s what you’ve got.
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou14/22Easy Peanut Noodles
Creamy, savory peanut noodles make a fast pantry-friendly dinner—and they’re highly adaptable. Use whatever nut or seed butter you keep on hand in place of peanut butter, and any liquid sweetener, but note that maple syrup makes it taste especially autumnal.
Photo by Heidi's Bridge15/22Pasta Alla Vodka
This creamy vodka sauce comes together with pantry staples like tomato paste, garlic and onion, heavy cream, Parmesan, and, yes, a splash of vodka. Tossed with rigatoni, it’s ready in about 30 minutes—perfect for a weeknight pasta dinner or an easy date-night meal.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness16/22Weeknight Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin purée adds richness, body, and a gentle orange hue to this speedy ground beef chili, letting the flavors of the spices and aromatics shine.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen17/22Smoky Brown-Butter Pasta
Photograph by Aaron Barton, food styling by Michelle Gatton, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon18/22Maple-and-Bacon Fall Chopped Salad
To jump-start your cooking, use pre-cut butternut squash from your grocery store. You’ll roast the cubes alongside bacon and late-addition walnuts on a single sheet pan.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams19/22A Perfect Tuna Melt
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro20/22Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
Make this hearty lentil salad for a weeknight dinner this week, then pack it up for the next couple of days for a not-sad-desk-lunch. (No lentils in the pantry? Swap in any canned bean.)
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling Christine Keely22/22Green Pasta e Fagioli
This verdant spin on pasta e fagioli is packed with white beans, whole-wheat pasta, and lots of kale—half of it blitzed into the sauce, the other half cooked until silky-tender—for an infinitely cozy dinner.
