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October is here, and I could not be more excited. This collection is filled with my favorite recipes to cook this month. Below, you’ll find warm fall dinners, some of my best soups, creamy pastas, game day favorites, and plenty of pumpkin, apple, and chocolate treats. Plus, a few of my spooky (and seriously cute!) Halloween desserts for all the fun October nights ahead. So much to cook and bake this month!
Just like September, October is a very special month for me personally. Most importantly, October is my Nonnie’s birthday month. Her birthday is October ninth, and as many of you have come to learn over the years, my grandma was incredibly special to me.
Since she passed, I’ve realized just how much of what I love and share today came from her. She was a pro entertainer and an effortless cook who loved fall and the holidays just as much as I do. Candles were burning every single night of the year, fresh flowers were always around, and she really tried to make every day feel special. There was just this beautiful magic about her.
And oh, how she loved October. Her Halloween decorations were up by the last week of September. They were always cute, never too spooky, and somehow worked right into Thanksgiving. She knew what she was doing! I miss her so much, especially this time of year.
A lot of the recipes below have been inspired by Nonnie or have little pieces of her woven into them, which makes this collection feel extra special.
It was SO hard to narrow this list down, but these are the recipes I come back to every October. There’s something delicious to make every single day of the month.
And really, we have the best three months of the year ahead. I’m so excited!
And check out my A Bewitchingly Halloween Chili Dinner
My Best October Recipes
One Pan Roasted Herb Chicken and Wild Rice
I turned a family favorite into a delicious one pan recipe that makes weeknight cooking easy!
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Red Wine Braised Pot Roast
A classic, warming, easy, and delicious one-pot meal that's great for weeknights and entertaining, too!
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Creamy Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
Classic chicken noodle, reimagined with Thai red curry + pumpkin. Cozy meets bold flavor!
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Chili Cornbread Casserole
Hearty, flavor-packed chili baked under a layer of golden, cheesy cornbread. Easy, cozy, comfort food done right!
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Dump and Bake Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Noodle Casserole
Simply dump, bake, and serve this creamy broccoli, chicken, and cheese casserole…cozy comfort in just one dish!
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One-Pot Creamy Italian Lasagna Soup
Sausage, spinach, cream, melty cheese, and broken noodles – all the lasagna vibes, none of the layering!
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Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
All the flavors of traditional chicken Parmesan, made simple in the crockpot. Comforting, cheesy, and the perfect cozy weeknight dinner!
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Easy Pot Roast Stroganoff
This slow-cooked beef stroganoff is creamy, hearty, and so nostalgic — the perfect cozy meal for fall nights or Sunday dinners!
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Creamy Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
For nights when you’re craving something warm and cozy, hearty, full of herbs and veggies, and so delicious!
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Mini Spaghetti Squash Lasagnas
This is the most cozy fall/winter dinner to make this season. Serve it to family and friends all season long!
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Crockpot Pumpkin Beer Braised Chicken
Slow braised chicken in seasonal pumpkin beer and cider – so delicious!
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Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Butter Pizza Dip Sliders
Like pizza but in a fun new form and with garlic butter in every bite…perfect for game day!
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Parmesan Popovers with Crispy Sage Garlic Butter
These perfect parmesan popovers are light, airy, hinted with browned butter and parmesan cheese, and are SO delicious.
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Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo
Made in under 30 mins, every twirl of pasta has delicious fall flavors that melt in your mouth!
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Instant Pot Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Make this on nights when you want something cozy like ramen, but need something healthier too!
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Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Casserole with Garlic Butter Pretzels
Like a thickened-up broccoli soup topped with salted pretzel rolls – delicious!
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One Pot Stove-Top Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This deliciously simple pumpkin mac and cheese is made all in one pot, in just 30 minutes…so yum!
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Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice
An easy and delicious slow cooker recipe that makes weeknight cooking easy, cozy, and delicious!
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Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup.
The perfect easy fall dinner…great for nights when you're craving Italian, but want something warming and healthy too.
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Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup.
Everything you love about a warming, cheesy bowl of French onion soup…but better!
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Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles.
For those nights when you’re craving spicy, warming Chinese inspired noodles, but don’t want to wait for takeout.
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Creamy White Lasagna Soup
The perfect cozy bowl for nights when you’re craving your favorite lasagna, but could also go for a cozy bowl of soup!
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One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto…the ultimate fall and winter comfort food!
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Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions
Plus creamy mashed potatoes…the perfect simple yet delicious dinner for a cold night in!
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Creamy Pierogi Chicken Soup with Rosemary Bacon Bits
Made all in one pot…if your night could use some warming soup, this should be it!
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Cider Braised Pot Roast with Crispy Sage Potatoes
Comforting + delicious, getting a slow-cooked meal on the table couldn't be easier!
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Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce
A cozy one-pot dinner with delicious, comforting flavors…a little teaser until Thanksgiving!
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Crockpot Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli
The easiest to create and so delicious…add some beer bread for a cozier weeknight slow cooker meal!
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Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice
When you’re in need of warming comfort food, but you also want healthy, this Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice is just the soup to make. All made in just ONE pot (or in your instant pot), in less than an hour. It’s cozy, a little spicy, and filled with vegetables. The perfect healthy bowl of soup!
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Sweets
Frosted Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars
Chewy brown butter blondies layered with cinnamon sugar and topped with cozy apple cider frosting. Perfect for fall baking and gifting!
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Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie Bars
THE cookie bars to make throughout the fall season…perfect for Halloween and Thanksgiving!
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Frosted Soft Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Made with classic autumn flavors, fun to bake, and delicious to eat. The perfect Fall and Thanksgiving cookies!
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Brown Butter Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodle Blondies
Perfect for Thanksgiving, or for packing up to fill this year's holiday cookie boxes!
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Brown Sugar Pecan Pie Brownies
The perfect holiday brownie to bake, eat, share, gift, and love this holiday season!
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Cream Cheese Swirled Cinnamon Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Serve this for brunch or dessert from now through Thanksgiving…a wonderful cake for autumn days!
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Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Easy to make, no chilling, under 30 mins…the perfect fall pumpkin cookie. Equally perfect for Halloween and Thanksgiving!
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Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Latte Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting
The perfect pairing of fall flavors…autumn in a sweet cupcake!
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Mini Apple Cider Cakes
Best enjoyed warm, preferably with a mug of cocoa or a latte. The perfect way to celebrate the autumn apple season!
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Pumpkin Spice Mini Cake
Topped with the dreamiest maple brown butter cream cheese frosting. So fun for Halloween and Thanksgiving!
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Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Butter Bread
Embracing the cozy fall days with autumn's best bread…enjoy it warm right out of the oven!
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Easy Swirled Cinnamon Sugar Croissant Loaf.
This light, buttery, super soft, and extra flaky croissant loaf is swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar. Making the most delicious, extra fancy, and super cozy addition to your autumn weekend.
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Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and gooey in the middle. Perfect for Halloween night or Thanksgiving dinner…or simply when in need of a deliciously sweet pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.
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Cream Cheese Swirled Cinnamon Pumpkin Butter Bread
Enjoy warm right out of the oven with a smear of salted honey butter. Perfect for all the autumn weekends ahead!
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Salted Bourbon Apple Crumble Coffee Cake
Fall baked up into a sweet little cake…no fuss, easy to mix up, and so delicious!
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Spooky Halloween Desserts
Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Sweet milk chocolate, sandwiched between spiced brown sugar cookies, and finished with a light dusting of cinnamon sugar. Perfect for both a spooky Halloween night or an elegant Thanksgiving dinner…or just when you need a deliciously sweet chocolate filled cookie!
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Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies
Start out by making a batch of my favorite one bowl brownies. Cut the brownies into nine squares, dip through chocolate, add a jumbo candy eye, and then decorate with some lines of frosting. Simple as that.
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Spooky Homemade Twix Bars
Pack them up and take them to the school Halloween party. Or serve them up at your adult-filled Halloween bash!
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Halloween Monster Mash Cookies
Festive, easy, and gravely spooky…each bite is slightly crisp on the edges but soft and gooey in the center!
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Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies
Sweet and creamy peanut butter buttercream, sandwiched between two milk chocolate covered chocolate sugar cookies!
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BOO! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
No oven time, 7 ingredients, no processed sugar…deliciously EASY, fun to make, homemade Halloween treats!
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Spooky Halloween Pretzels
All we’re really doing here is taking some large pretzel twists and pretzel rods, covering them in melted dark and white chocolate, and decorating to make them “spooky”. It really doesn’t get much easier than these here pretzels. And the best part is how much fun they are to make…for everyone from kids to adults!
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This post was originally published on September 30, 2026
