The 31 Best Things to Cook This October

Welcome to October! It’s time to embrace fall cooking and baking — and all the apple and pumpkin recipes. The chill in the air makes us want to stay inside and cook, but it also reminds us that it’s the season for fun fall activities. To have the best of both worlds, we look for easy, comforting recipes that come together in one pot, one skillet, or in one of our shortcut appliances (we’re looking at you, Instant Pot). Gorgeous jewel-toned root vegetables — like Brussels sprouts, hearty greens, and squash — inspire us to crank up our ovens for roasting, and those veggies find their way into salads, grain bowls, soups, and stews. And sweets have their moment this month, too. As Halloween approaches, the treat-making (and eating!) cranks into high gear.

With all of that going on, you don’t need much encouragement to get into the kitchen, but you might be looking for a place to start. From cozy soups and roast chicken to apple cake and a sweet-and-savory Halloween snack mix, we have 31 recipes that are guaranteed to make your cooking life much more delicious this month.