Spooky season’s big finale, aka Halloween, is just around the corner. This calls for a week’s worth of hauntingly delicious dinners that will give you all the fuel you need for a night of trick-or-treating (or lounging on the couch with a scary movie). Here, you’ll find seven enchanting seasonal meals that fit the bill, ranging from kid-friendly baking sheet quesadillas to foolproof peanut noodles.
Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (October 28 – November 3)
These dinners are devilishly delicious
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Published Oct 24, 2024
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
cookedphotos/Getty Images
Shopping List
Produce
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
2 large heads garlic
6 ounces baby spinach
1 medium onion
1 large sweet potato
1 avocado
1 lime
One 1-inch piece ginger
2 to 3 Persian cucumbers
1 butternut squash
1 lemon
2 bunches scallions
3 bunches thyme
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch basil
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch sage
Meat
12 ounces top round beef
1 pound ground turkey
One 3-pound whole chicken
Dairy
4 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
20 ounces ricotta cheese
12 ounces shredded cheddar or Jack cheese, plus more for serving
Sour cream, for serving
½ stick unsalted butter
4 ounces fresh mozzarella
Grains
1 pound large shells or rigatoni
12 rectangular tortillas or wraps
10 ounces rice noodles (or three 3-ounce packages ramen noodles)
Canned and Packaged Goods
One 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
One 15-ounce can black beans
4 ounces salsa, plus more for serving
2 ounces roasted, salted peanuts
8 ounces vegetable or chicken broth
One ball store-bought pizza dough
Pantry Ingredients: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, peanut oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, fresh nutmeg, extra-virgin olive oil, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, natural creamy peanut butter, tahini, dark brown sugar, sambal oelek, toasted sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, honey
Monday: 15-Minute Skillet Pepper Steak
You won’t believe how foolproof this one-pan, protein-packed steak dish is to make at home, even for intimidated newbies. Serve it with plenty of fluffy white rice (or cauliflower rice to keep the carbs low) and you might never order takeout again—well, this week at least.
Tuesday: 3-Cheese Pumpkin Pasta Casserole with Spinach
Fall is all about the four Cs: creamy, comforting, crowd-pleasing and most importantly, cheesy. Canned pumpkin makes the sauce a breeze to prepare, while dollops of ricotta and fresh spinach give the casserole a modern look.
Wednesday: Sweet Potato Chili with Turkey and Black Beans
Already dipped into the trick-or-treaters’ Halloween candy? No judgment here, friend, but it couldn’t hurt to balance things out with a hearty dose of protein and fiber. Lucky for you, sweet potatoes, ground turkey and canned beans have you covered, and they taste divine together.
Thursday: Baking Sheet Quesadilla
Kick off the 31st with easy, kid-friendly quesadillas, which just might be even tastier when sliced with pumpkin- and bat-shaped cookie-cutters for festive flair. Top them with any fixings the kids will actually eat (and wash ’em down with warm apple cider, if you’re feeling fancy).
Friday: Next-Level Weeknight Peanut-Tahini Noodles with Toasted Sesame, Chile & Basil
Earthy, nutty noodles meet fresh herbs, sharp scallions and cool cucumbers for a ridiculously simple, 25-minute dinner. Use udon, spaghetti, linguine or any long pasta you’d like, or make the dish gluten free by using rice noodles and coconut aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce.
Saturday: Pizza with Butternut Squash Sauce
This seasonal riff on a standard white pie is straight-up ingenious. The recipe calls for store-bought pizza dough, so it’s not nearly as complicated to prepare as it may seem. I’ll take crushed red pepper flakes and hot honey on my slice, please.
