Wildly Delicious Weeknight Dinners For October

This hearty Tex-Mex taco lasagna hits so many of the classic casserole notes: Cheesy? ✔️ Perfect for a crowd? ✔️ Flavor for days? ✔️ Great (greatest?) way to stretch a pound of ground beef? ✔️ The list goes on and on.

Get the Taco Lasagna recipe.

Lunchtime is the sacred 30 minutes in the school day when you can gather with your friends to exchange information, general childhood gripes, and only the finest cafeteria delicacies. The only thing that improved upon such a hallmark experience? When the day to rule all days rolled around: pizza day!

Get the Lunch Lady Sheet-Pan Pizza recipe.

Alfredo-based pasta is always a good idea, but this pasta bake is one of our favorites. In this recipe, shrimp is tossed with an easy Alfredo sauce and penne before being topped with cheese. It's baked until you have a bubbling dinner that is just as perfect on busy weeknights as it is for fancy date nights.

Get the Garlicky Shrimp Alfredo Bake recipe.

These festive Halloween cuties are not only easy to make—they’re even easier to devour. Wrapped in crescent dough and stuffed with cheese, these mummy dogs are buttery, flaky, and cheesy (AKA, everything we could ever want in an easy light dinner).

Get the Mummy Hot Dogs recipe.

After baking butternut squash until perfectly tender, you'll top the squash with a hearty filling of quinoa, kale, and chickpeas. Flecked with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, the savory pilaf is sweet, savory, protein-packed, and filling—what more could you want for fall?

Get the Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe.

This quick and easy orzo recipe is a 30-minute dinner that’s low on dishes and full of gooey, melted cheese flavor. It’s like an adult twist on mac & cheese that the entire family will love.

Get the One-Pan Cheesy Broccoli-Cheddar Orzo recipe.

Adding white beans makes this heartier than your average chicken noodle soup, and the addition of green chiles, jalapeño, and sour cream add the perfect amount of heat and creaminess to switch up classic chili. Plus, everything comes together in less than an hour (!!), making it an easy, no-stress dinner to cozy up to this fall.

Get the White Chicken Chili recipe.

I didn’t think we could love mac & cheese any more…until now. In this recipe, butternut squash lends a sweetness and added richness to the classic dreamy cream sauce, giving an elevated, fall twist to this staple meal. Plus, it never hurts to sneak in a hidden veggie!

Get the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese recipe.

When the weather gets cold, your dinner making-mojo is low, or when comfort food is just what’s on the menu, you need a casserole. And if that casserole is easy, creamy, chicken-y, and cheesy, like this one is? With a crunchy topping? Your oven should already be preheating. 😉

Get the Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole recipe.

No judgment from us if you skip making your own roux for this Japanese curry, but there are a few ingredients you shouldn't swap out. Caramelizing onions and grating apple might seem extra, but trust us—they help offset the spice level of the recipe, and add an unexpected sweetness you’ll love.

Get the Japanese Curry recipe.

Chef Millie Peartree's baked mac & cheese is famous for a number of reasons. Our major takeaway—layering cheese and an eggy custard makes for the MOST creamy, saucy, and decadent dish ever. We might never make it another way again.

Get the Southern Baked Mac & Cheese recipe.

Looking for a cheap, easy dinner that takes under 30 minutes to cook? Sticky sesame chickpeas and broccoli are calling your name. Starring an absurdly delicious glaze made from staple condiments and a few humble cans from the pantry, this simple one-pan dinner will make even a Wednesday night feel special.

Get the Sticky Sesame Chickpeas & Broccoli recipe.

Is there anything more nostalgic than a bubbling, cheesy Hot Pocket? To recreate the beloved pizza Hot Pocket, we used canned pizza dough, store-bought marinara, cheese, and pepperoni in this copycat recipe. As an easy game day appetizer or quick but satisfying dinner, these pockets of saucy, pizza-inspired goodness are hard to beat.

Get the Copycat Pizza Hot Pockets recipe.

Looking for something delicious that's only a little bit spooky this Halloween? Try these adorable raviolis filled with ricotta, Parmesan, and finely chopped pear. We made these from wonton wrappers, rather than pasta dough, to make them scary easy on you too. 😉 You're welcOoOme.

Get the Ghost Purse Ravioli recipe.

Though we kind of hate to admit it, we LOVE Jiffy cornbread mix. It's easy to make, and it's damn good in dishes like this chili and cornbread casserole. If you want to go the homemade route, try halving our delicious homemade cornbread for this recipe. It might turn out even better.

Get the Cornbread Casserole recipe.

The best of smashed burgers and tacos collide here to make the most satisfying easy meal. Every layer of this taco is supported by the next, from the earthy paprika-forward chorizo to the crispy cheddar frico, creamy egg yolk, and acidic herb sauce that completes the entire package.

Get the Frico Egg Smash Tacos recipe.

What’s an easy weeknight dinner without beef, noodles, and gooey cheese? This recipe stable favorite—cream of mushroom soup—along with tomato sauce, lots of garlic, sweet onion, and sharp cheddar cheese. The only prep work requires cutting onions, chopping garlic, and grating the cheese. It’s a combination of everything you want in a comforting October meal.

Get the Beef Noodle Casserole recipe.

If you love crescent rolls and are as obsessed with tacos as we are, this Halloween-y meal is calling your name. With crescent roll legs and a crescent roll ring body stuffed with a beefy spiced filling, it’s equal parts cute, creepy, and downright tasty.

Get the Spider Taco Ring recipe.

Cabbage is one of the great unsung heroes of the vegetable world, and this recipe is the perfect example. In it, big wedges of cabbage are seared, then simmered along with chickpeas, in a savory and slightly spicy coconut milk broth. You’ll be amazed how this humble vegetable is transformed into something to brag about.

Get the Coconut-Braised Cabbage recipe.

If you can't get enough of Rome's famous spaghetti carbonara, then we have a sneaking suspicion you'll love this extra cheesy pizza version. With bacon, plenty of cheese, and an egg baked in the center of the pie, this pizza is salty, cheesy, and so satisfyingly messy.

Get the Carbonara Pizza recipe.