31 October Dinner Ideas That Are Ideal for Sweater Weather
The leaves are changing color, the air is getting crisp and cans of pumpkin purée are stacked high at the supermarket. We’ve got all the fall feels right now, meaning we’re craving hearty dinners that warm us up—and are just the complement to a roaring fire. Read on for 31 October dinner ideas that are satisfying, nourishing and sweater-season appropriate. Think butternut squash risotto, balsamic roast chicken and more.
RELATED: 105 Fall Dinner Ideas Starring Easy Seasonal Recipes
October 1: Pesto Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Veggies and Labneh
A dollop of seasoned labneh (or Greek yogurt) takes these healthy bowls from everyday to over the top.
October 2: Creamy Gochujang Zoodles
The primary purpose of zoodles? They’re a vehicle for all that luscious, spicy sauce. (Put an egg on it, if you please.)
October 3: Sheet-Pan Buttermilk Chicken Thighs with Plums, Shallots and Honey
Make the most of summer's last stone fruits with this one-pan wonder. Be sure to leave time to marinate the chicken overnight—soaking it in buttermilk and salt will tenderize the meat.
October 4: Hearty Stuffed Butternut Squash
This year, we’re heading into butternut squash season with open minds and empty stomachs.
October 5: Polenta and Meatballs
For when even the kids are sick of spaghetti. (Oh, and polenta isn't as fussy as you may think, since you only have to stir it every so often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.)
October 6: Chicken and Snap Pea Stir Fry
When you’d rather be watching spooky movies than standing around in the kitchen, this 20-minute stir fry is exactly what you should make for dinner.
October 7: Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Something magical happens when you combine store-bought gnocchi and a cast iron skillet. (You guessed it, it’s this meal.)
October 8: Butternut Squash Carbonara
It’s creamy and dreamy without any butter or cream (though it is loaded with grated Parm). Squash is transformative like that.
October 9: Pork Milanese with Cucumber Yogurt
All these impossibly crisp fried chops need before you inhale them is a spritz of lemon. Use every bit of the fresh dill, chives and spring onions in the yogurt dip—herb stems boast a *ton* of flavor.
October 10: Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: soup season. Celebrate with this bowl of coziness, starring store-bought cheese-filled noodles and alllll the Parmesan cheese.
October 11: Prosciutto and Fig Salad Board
Our favorite part about this charcuterie masterpiece? It's served on a chic cutting board, so all the toppings are easily accessible instead of trapped at the bottom of a bowl.
October 12: Tandoori-Inspired Roast Cauliflower Bowls with Tahini
A slew of warm spices (ginger! turmeric! cumin!) make this vegetarian dish a worthy alternative to traditional tandoori chicken. And the tahini sauce? You'll want to drizzle it on every salad you make this fall.
October 13: Classic Stuffed Peppers
Only 40 minutes stand between you and this beefy dinner staple. Feel free to use pesto, vodka sauce or cream sauce instead of marinara in the filling.
October 14: Cacio e Pepe
It's your pantry's time to shine. We're willing to bet that you have all five ingredients needed to pull off this timeless pasta dish in your kitchen right now.
October 15: Bacon-Wrapped Black Cod with Spinach and Capers
Flaky fish, crispy bacon, garlicky greens and briny capers—what more can you ask for in a lightning-fast seafood dish? You handle dinner, we'll bring the white wine.
October 16: Sausage, Corn and Poblano Chowder
It’s spicy, sweet, hearty and just so happens to keep really well in the freezer. Need we say more?
October 17: Warm Ginger-Scallion Pork & Kale Salad
Cold weather calls for warm salads. Raw kale can be tough to chew on, but sautéing it in a zingy honey-ginger dressing for a couple minutes will soften it up beautifully.
October 18: Antoni Porowski’s Strip Steak with Harissa Butter and Parsley Salad
Whether you're cooking for an intimate date night or an elegant dinner party, you can never go wrong with seared steak. (BTW, the parsley salad will change how you see the underrated herb forever.)
October 19: Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Leeks
This dinner sounds and looks complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. Butternut squash purée is stirred in with chicken broth, and the results are *chef’s kiss.*
RELATED: 30 Easy Risotto Recipes Anyone Can Make
October 20: Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots
Save the kale Caesar for another night. This salad is packed with fall flavors, plus plenty of chickpeas to fill you up.
October 21: Balsamic Cranberry Roast Chicken
This skillet dinner is surprisingly hands-off; you don’t even have to brown the chicken on the stove before transferring it to the oven.
October 22: Alison Roman’s Roasted Squash with Yogurt and Spiced Buttered Pistachios
Give us a chance to eat sweet, creamy squash as a main course and we’ll take it. The combination of lemony yogurt sauce and brown butter is—dare we say—divine.
October 23: Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Barley Risotto
Who needs bowls when you have big, juicy mushrooms? This meal tastes decadent, but it’s actually pretty healthy.
October 24: One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Carrots
You can’t go wrong with this pairing. We love the way the carrots soak up some of the chicken's flavorful juices as they cook.
October 25: Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Beer
All that we're saying is give peas a chance. Smoky bacon, bright sherry vinegar and your go-to pale lager elevate this overlooked classic big time.
October 26: Roasted Squash and Tofu with Soy, Honey, Chili and Ginger
The key to crispy tofu is to press all the liquid out, so don’t skip that step. Serve the squash with rice on the side for a filling main course.
October 27: Salmon with Pesto and Blistered Tomatoes
Hit the farmers market one last time for the prettiest cherry tomatoes you can find. Then, bake them with garlic and plate them with tender salmon coated in store-bought pesto.
October 28: Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup
Typically, you’d spend at least an hour caramelizing onions on your stovetop for this soup. Our recipe relies on the trusty slow cooker instead to eliminate the fuss.
October 29: Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Apple Salad
Salad for dinner isn’t just a summer thing. This one has roast cauliflower and crisp apples, so it’s satisfying and light at the same time.
October 30: Buffalo-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
If you thought sweet potatoes were only meant to be stuffed with butter and brown sugar, think again. Here, the filling leans on store-bought rotisserie chicken.
October 31: Pumpkin Soup in Mini Pumpkin Bowls
It’s Halloween. If you’re not eating dinner straight out of a pumpkin, you’re doing it wrong. Bonus points for topping them with toasted pepitas from this year's jack-o'-lantern.
RELATED: The 50 Best Pumpkin Recipes to Make All Fall Long
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
