31 Days of Family-Friendly Dinners to Make in October
With this collection of healthy, family-friendly recipes, you'll have a delicious dinner on the table all month long. These meals are packed with fresh, seasonal ingredients like carrots, kale and sweet potatoes. Try recipes like our Chicken Taco Casserole and Sloppy Joe-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for dinners that look, smell and taste amazing.
Chicken Taco Casserole
This flavorful chicken taco casserole is packed with veggies, chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla chips and baked to perfection, then topped with fresh tomatoes, crisp iceberg lettuce and creamy avocado—just like a classic taco. Make it your own by swapping out the black beans for pinto beans or adding pepper Jack cheese for some added kick. If you want to keep it mild, opt for a milder taco seasoning and skip the jalapeños.
Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup
A winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.
Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers
In this healthy stuffed peppers recipe, a delicious jambalaya filling of chicken and Cajun spices gets baked inside of bell peppers. Traditional jambalaya is made with green bell peppers, but you can use green, yellow, or orange peppers (or a mix) for this dish. Look for bell peppers with even bottoms, so that they stand upright on their own.
Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza with Sausage & Kale
A piping-hot cast-iron skillet turns pizza dough into a puffy, crisp-bottomed crust (similar to focaccia). If you have children, let them help make this easy pizza recipe: While you cook the sausage, have the kids tear up the kale--no knife required!
Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Carve faces into the side of a bell pepper for a cute jack-o'-lantern you can eat too! This adorable Halloween-themed dinner is perfect for a family dinner to fuel your trick-or-treating adventure. Or serve them at a Halloween party and watch them disappear! Don't feel like freehand-carving the faces with a knife? Try using a cookie cutter instead.
Sloppy Joe-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Take sloppy Joes to a new level with tender sweet potatoes standing in for the bun. Sweet potatoes pair perfectly with the tangy, flavorful filling of ground beef, black beans and spices. Chopped dill pickle sprinkled on top adds crunch to this quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
Make an easy chicken dish topped with a savory mushroom sauce for a tasty meal that's ready in minutes.
Air-Fryer Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are a classic family meal—and they're fun to eat, too. Instead of roasting the sweet peppers in the oven, use an air fryer to get them crisp-tender but not soggy.
Sausage, Mushroom & Pesto Grilled Pizza
Healthy homemade sausage-and-mushroom pizza in the comfort of your backyard? Yes, please. All you need for a Naples-worthy pie is a hot grill, store-bought pizza dough and easy prepared ingredients. Serve with a glass of Chianti.
Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs
Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or none of the above, these plant-based "dogs" are magically delicious--period. This recipe makes these vegan hot dogs Chicago-style, but feel free to doctor them up any way you like. Break with convention and add shredded cabbage, sprouts and cilantro, for example.
Bibimbap-Inspired Rice Bowls
While not traditional, these protein-rich brown rice bowls take inspiration from Korean bibimbap, with a mix of sweet and spicy ground beef and sliced veggies topped with a fried egg. Gochujang, a fermented paste made from chiles, soybeans and rice, adds subtle spice and tons of complexity. Toasted sesame oil finishes the dish with a nutty flavor.
Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup)
Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this Italian Wedding Soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.
Potsticker & Vegetable Soup
Skip the frying pan and make a full meal out of store-bought dumplings with this quick and easy 30-minute soup. Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) is a seasoned rice wine used in Chinese cooking. Look for it in Asian specialty markets or with other Asian ingredients in large supermarkets.
One-Pot Chicken & Broccoli Pasta
This creamy chicken and broccoli pasta makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. We opt for small shells in this recipe, but any other small pasta, like orecchiette, would work, too.
Vegetarian Quinoa & Feta Stuffed Zucchini
These vegetarian stuffed zucchinis are perfectly tender and fresh with the flavors of the Mediterranean. Olives and feta cheese deliver a nice salty bite, while quinoa adds a nutty flavor, along with protein and fiber.
Chicken Mushroom Potpie
This homey pie boasts creamy, savory sauce and refrigerated piecrust dough for convenience.
Potato Enchiladas
Frozen potatoes, often labeled diced hash brown potatoes, make these healthy enchiladas come together quickly. Feel free to sub in sweet potatoes for an added boost of vitamin A, if desired.
Vegan Cauliflower Fried Rice
Substituting riced cauliflower for rice reduces calories and carbs in this veggie-packed dish. Use the vibrant flavors of fried rice—ginger, scallions and tamari—to create a low-carb version of the classic take-out meal.
Slow-Cooker Vegetable Lasagna
This vegetarian lasagna couldn't be easier, thanks to jarred pasta sauce and no-boil lasagna noodles. Prep it in the morning and let your crock pot do the work.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Pot Pie
We took all the flavors of classic pot pie and made it super-easy to pull together in the crock pot. Look for ready-to-bake biscuits with minimal ingredients to keep it healthy. Biscuits tend to be high in sodium, so we advise only half a biscuit per serving if you're watching your salt intake.
Sweet Potato & Barley Chili
If you're ready for something different, try this hearty slow-cooked chili made with sweet potato, pearled barley, and red beans.
Beans & Greens Enchiladas
Any type of canned bean will work in these easy layered enchiladas, but our favorite combination is a mix of black and pinto beans. Serve as a vegetarian main dish or as a tasty side for roasted pork or chicken.
Pressure-Cooker Chicken, Potatoes & Peppers
Simple ingredients like chicken thighs, potatoes and bell pepper turn fall-off-the-bone tender in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot in just minutes. A splash of vinegar and a sprinkle of scallion just before serving add zing to this classic family dinner.
Black Bean-Queso Wraps
These easy wraps are filled with black beans, corn, red pepper and creamy queso. They cook up quickly in a panini press.
Pork, Mushroom & Cabbage Soup
A little dry sherry adds a nice flavor to this comforting cabbage soup. Mushrooms and pork help bulk up the soup for a satisfying meal.
Sausage & Kidney Bean Soup
Sausage, kidney beans and vegetables make this 30-minute soup a filling dinner in a bowl.
Fast Chicken Chili
This quickie chili comes together in a flash, making it ideal for busy weeknights. Stirring mashed cannellini beans into the chili adds body. You could also use navy or pinto beans.
Chicken Tacos in Cabbage "Tortillas"
Taco Tuesday goes low-carb with a tortilla made of veggies. Cabbage leaves are the perfect crispy taco shell alternative. Add your favorite taco toppings--pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado and jalapeño--and never miss the extra carbs and calories.
Grilled Salmon with Kale Sauté
In this healthy dinner recipe, salmon fillets are seasoned with a zesty dry rub, grilled and served with a simple side--lemon-seasoned sautéed kale and shallots. Sometimes simple is best!
Turkey Enchiladas
These turkey enchiladas take leftovers in a whole new direction. These simple enchiladas take only 10 minutes to prep, and they work equally well with leftover chicken too. Warming the tortillas prevents them from cracking and breaking. Learn three ways to warm corn tortillas here.
Sauerkrat, Pork, and Potatoes
Sauerkraut is at the heart of this simple German-style slow-cooker pork stew.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
