The Top 10 Recipes Our Editors Are Excited to Make in October

From apple cake to cozy soups and a dinner dip, here's what we're cooking.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published October 02, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Frito pie dip in a cast iron skillet at a table setting with a bag of fritos lays, a single serving of dip on a plate, a small bowl of diced tomatoes, and a beer

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

Welcome to our monthly series featuring recipes our editors are most looking forward to cooking each month!

I love October. It's quiet and cool, the calm before the back-to-back Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve storm. It's one of those months where you can really let your intuition (and the weather) lead when it comes to what you cook. If it's unseasonably warm, you might stretch late summer produce to its limit and put the pumpkin on hold; if it's cooling down quickly ,you can cozy up on the couch with your favorite comfort food.

Our editors have selected a number of recipes they're most looking forward to making this month, and I think you'll be delighted by their picks.

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  • Pumpkin Quickies

    Pumpkin quickies on a cooling rack (some are plain and some were upgraded using demerera sugar and chocolate chips

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "It's finally fall! I am all about fall flavors, fall colors, and fall weather right now, so these quick and easy cookies are the perfect way to bring in the new season."—Brooke Schuldt, Associate Social Director

  • Broccoli Pasta

    Closeup overhead shot of a bowl of rigatoni pasta with broccoli and parmesan cheese

    Simply Recipes / Molly Adams

    "This busy time of year I'm all about quick, one-dish dinners that I can whip up at the end of the work day. Pasta and broccoli are two of my family's favorite ingredients, and with some freshly grated Parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes, and a generous drizzle of good olive oil, this dish is a slam-dunk."—Elaine Johnson, Senior Editor

  • Pupusas

    Plate of Pupusas with One Cut in Half

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "I am a weekend project girlie, and that includes cooking projects. This month I'm hosting friends and making pupusas. With a crunchy crust paired with cheesy goodness, they're my ultimate comfort food. I love that they are highly customizable (you can add pulled meat or refried beans as the filling) and a reliable freezer meal. I usually make a double batch and store them in my freezer for an easy, low-effort dinner."—Munni Pramanik, Editorial Projects Manager

  • Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

    A bowl of butternut squash and sausage soup garnished with herbs accompanied by bread slices and surrounded by a striped napkin and other table elements

    Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

    "With temperatures cooling down, I'm ready to bring my slow cooker out of the cabinet and back into regular rotation for cozy, simmering soups, sauces, and chilis. This recent recipe by Jessica Furniss sounds so delicious and so easy—with just four main ingredients I can definitely make it happen, and I'm sure my house will smell incredible as it bubbles away all afternoon!"—Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor

    Continue to 5 of 10 below

  • Coconut Lime Chicken

    creamy coconut lime chicken in a pan at a table setting with a stack of plates, a bowl of minced cilantro, and a bowl of lime wedges

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "I love this recipe. It's in my regular rotation. It always feels a little different and exciting to make. It's comforting, creamy, and fresh at the same time. I usually serve it with rice to soak up all the delicious sauce."—Haley Scarpino, Associate Editor

  • Easy French Apple Cake

    slice of Easy French Apple Cake on a dessert plate with a fork in the forground, cake on a serving board

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "This month is definitely going to involve some apple picking, and I always go overboard, weighing down the trunk with several pounds of fresh apples. I'll put some of them into this super easy but incredibly moist and delicious apple cake. It's a lovely dessert, but it's even better for breakfast or brunch. Très magnifique!"—Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Stovetop Taco Soup

    Bowl of Stovetop Taco Soup Topped with Avocado Slices, Cotija Cheese, and Cilantro and Surrounded by Bowls of Toppings

    Simply Recipes / Marta Rivera Diaz

    "The hours between daycare pickup and bedtime for my two kids can only be described as joyful chaos! As much as I love cooking, making dinner can add to that chaos and cut into the fleeting family time we have each evening. Some weeks I have it together enough to meal prep ahead or set a slow-cooker recipe in motion, so dinner is ready when we are. But many times, I turn to quick, one-pot dinners like this. I love that there's minimal chopping involved and most of the ingredients simply get dumped into the Dutch oven. Bonus: the leftovers make an even better next-day lunch!" —Victoria Seaver, Associate General Manager

  • 15-Minute Dumplings with Peanut-Chili Sauce

    Dumplings on a plate topped with peanutchili sauce and garnished with sesame seeds and herbs with a hand pouring chili oil from a spoon

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "It sounds delicious, only has five ingredients, and is done in 15 minutes! I gravitate towards quick and easy for weeknight dinners. All of the flavors complement each other so well, and it would be easy to sauté or roast a quick veggie side to go along with it."—Wanda Abraham, Senior Visual Editor

    Continue to 9 of 10 below

  • Easy Tuscan Ribollita Soup

    easy Tuscan ribolitta soup in a dutch oven at a table setting with a plate of bread and a kitchen towel

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

    "I have a lot of ingredients for this languishing in my refrigerator: onion, carrot, celery, and kale. I also have a loaf of sourdough on the cusp of staleness, which means it's perfect for a ribollita recipe."—Lara Eucalano, Senior Editor

  • Frito Pie Dip

    Frito pie dip in a cast iron skillet at a table setting with a bag of fritos lays, a single serving of dip on a plate, a small bowl of diced tomatoes, and a beer

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "My family loves a dip for dinner, and this is especially true during football season. On Sundays, we love breaking our tradition of eating at the kitchen table and instead gather around the coffee table for an extra casual meal that still satisfies. Frito pie dip is the perfect recipe for this!"—Sarah Crowder, Senior Art Director

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