Healthy Recipes to Make in October

Updated January 06, 2020
Fall is officially here, so it’s time to welcome back roasted vegetables, hearty soups, and yummy baked goods to your normal rotation. To help you out, we’ve compiled our best autumn recipes to ensure you have a delicious October filled with plenty of fall-centric foods!
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Roasted Gnocchi & Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

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In this quick vegetarian dinner recipe, you can skip boiling the gnocchi--they'll cook through while roasting on the sheet pan with the rest of the ingredients. If you can't find Meyer lemons, use 1 small regular lemon in Step 2 and use 4 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons orange juice in Step 4.

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Beet & Goat Cheese Tartines

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Roasting small multicolored beets makes a gorgeous topping for this healthy open-face sandwich recipe. For a flavor boost, try stirring fresh or dried herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, into the goat cheese spread. Serve with roast chicken and a green salad to make it a meal.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

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For bigger hits of chocolate goodness, use chopped bittersweet chocolate in place of the chips. Hold on to the leftover pumpkin puree--it's yummy stirred into your morning oatmeal or yogurt.

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Tamari-Ginger Meatball & Eggplant Casserole

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Eggplant soaks up the flavors of ginger, garlic and tamari in this Asian-inspired casserole recipe. A hot pepper in the topping adds a bit of heat, but opt for sweet if you prefer.

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Sauteed Pork Chops with Apples

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The Sugar and Spice Rub makes extra. So another time, use it to season pork tenderloin or lean burgers before broiling or grilling.

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Roasted Squash with Green Tahini

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This squash recipe will leave you with some extra green tahini, which you can use as a salad dressing or a dip for crudités. Serve with a roast chicken and mixed green salad for a complete meal.

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Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes

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Tons of spice, corn and bell pepper give this healthy one-pot chicken chili recipe Southwestern flair. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, tortilla chips and a cold beer.

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Galette with Kabocha Squash & Kale

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Kale and kabocha squash pair deliciously in this healthy vegetarian galette recipe that looks as fabulous as it tastes. Kabocha squash doesn't need to be peeled, but if it isn't available, use buttercup squash instead.

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Seared Arctic Char with Bacon-Leek Chard

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A cousin of salmon and trout with a milder flavor, Arctic char-both farmed and wild--is recommended as a "Best Choice" by Seafood Watch. It's low in mercury and has almost the same amount of omega-3s per serving as salmon. Try it in this healthy fish recipe with dark leafy greens.

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Chicken Fesenjan

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Laced with tangy-sweet pomegranate molasses and fragrant spices, this healthy and delicious Persian stew is traditionally prepared for festive occasions. Here we make it with chicken for a quick and easy dinner but it can also be made with lamb stew meat for special occasions. Serve with brown rice to sop up any extra sauce.

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Vietnamese Pork & Broccoli "Rice" Bowls

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Broccoli gets a whirl in your food processor, with rice-like results, in this healthy dinner recipe. Serve with hot sauce and limes for an extra kick.

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Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri

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In this stunning, healthy cauliflower recipe, a head of cauliflower is cut into thick slabs then roasted until caramelized and served with chimichurri, a garlic-herb sauce. The cauliflower steaks make a fine accompaniment to actual steaks, or better still, serve them on their own as a vegetarian alternative to steak. Each head of cauliflower will provide 2 to 3 steaks from the center--the sides tend to crumble. For a truly show-stopping presentation, use the center portion of 2 heads and save the rest of the cauliflower for another recipe that calls for cauliflower florets.

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Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Skillet

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Eating a big healthy breakfast‚ like this 700-calorie hash-and-egg recipe‚ may help lower your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger, and reduce snack cravings later in the day. Plus, research shows eating the bulk of your daily calories earlier in the day could help you lose weight. If you're looking for a lighter breakfast, this recipe can serve two.

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Apple “Donuts”

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This so-simple 3-ingredient recipe turns apple slices into “donuts.” Topped with nut butter and coconut, they make a satisfying no-added-sugar dessert or healthy snack.

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Loaded Sweet Potato Nacho Fries

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Bump up the vitamin A and fiber when you swap tortilla chips for sweet potatoes in this healthy recipe. Serve as an appetizer at your next party or turn it into dinner by adding chicken, tofu, shrimp or more beans for protein.

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Chickpea & Quinoa Buddha Bowl

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It seems Buddha bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!

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Salmon & Fall Vegetables with Bagna Cauda

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In this family-style meal, a platter full of salmon and roasted and raw vegetables--served with a Northern Italian-inspired garlic-anchovy dip--lets everyone choose their own dining adventure. Serve with crusty bread and white wine.

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Peanut Butter-Oat Energy Balls

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Sweet, sticky dates act as the glue for these no-bake energy balls. Perfect for hikes or during sports, this healthy snack travels well. For the best flavor and texture, use Medjool dates--the largest and most luscious date variety. Look for them in the produce department or near other dried fruits.

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Apple Cinnamon Chia Pudding

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Switch up your morning oatmeal routine with this so-easy chia pudding recipe. It's made just like overnight oats: combine chia and your milk of choice, let soak overnight, then top with the classic flavor combo of apples and cinnamon, with pecans for added crunch.

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Pumpkin Pancakes

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This healthy whole-grain pumpkin pancake recipe produces fluffy cakes with a beautiful orange hue from pureed pumpkin and light crunch from toasted pecans. If you want to experiment with different types of whole grains, replace up to ½ cup of the whole-wheat flour with cornmeal, oats and/or buckwheat flour. Or add extra fiber and omega-3s by adding up to 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or chia seeds.

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Chicken Sausage & Kale

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What's the secret to making store-bought butternut squash ravioli even more delicious? Add apple-chicken sausage, tender greens and lots of caramelized onions. We add a bit of sugar to help the onions caramelize faster, but feel free to omit it (just cook the onions a bit longer if you do). Buy prewashed chopped kale to cut down on prep time. It all adds up to an easy dinner that's ready in just 20 minutes.

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Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

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This recipe takes oatmeal cookies up a notch with its cinnamony, buttery, delicious take on a much-loved classic dessert.

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Slab Chicken Potpie

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Slab fruit pies are all the rage for summer parties, so why not give classic chicken potpie the same treatment and create buzz at a cool-weather gathering as well. Premade pie crusts and frozen veggies make this chicken dinner easy to prepare without sacrificing flavor.

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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Stew

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Potatoes and beans make this tomato-based crock-pot vegetable stew super-hearty. You could also add briefly sautéed chunks of zucchini or fresh corn kernels just before serving, or add another can of cannellini beans for more substance. A dollop of pesto on top is also super-delicious. Adding homemade garlic croutons is an easy way to elevate this healthy dinner.

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Curried Butternut Squash Dip

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This healthy squash dip recipe, spiced with curry and made creamy with the addition of coconut milk, is a delicious alternative to hummus. You can also use other types of winter squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash in this dip. Serve with crisp raw vegetables or toasted pitas for dipping.

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Cranberry-Almond Granola Bars

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There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

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Use your Instant Pot—or any other pressure cooker—to whip up this healthy butternut squash soup. Anjou pears add sweetness, while the soup gets creaminess and a wonderful flavor from light coconut milk, and a bright, fresh kick from ginger, cilantro and lime. Finishing the soup with whole-milk yogurt adds a nice richness, but you can skip it to keep the soup vegan. (Allow the soup to cool slightly before stirring in the yogurt so it doesn't curdle.) This soup would be equally delicious chilled.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

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Indulge your PSL obsession with these pumpkin spice cookies. Instant espresso powder gives these soft, cakey cookies a subtle yet recognizable coffee flavor. Spread with cream cheese frosting (with more pumpkin pie spice flavors) and sprinkle with cinnamon to finish. And, go ahead, drink a pumpkin spice latte while you eat them for the full PSL experience. After all, it's only fall for so long (though we'd eat these cookies year-round). To make these cookies kid-friendly, simply omit the espresso powder.

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Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon

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Salmon and walnuts are both great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Pair this easy salmon recipe with a simple salad and a side of roasted potatoes or quinoa.

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Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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This easy pasta recipe is an excuse to buy wild mushrooms, available at many grocery stores these days. Or if you prefer white buttons, those will work well too. The creamy linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it's quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining.

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Chipotle-Glazed Roasted Pork Tenderloin & Grapes

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Grape jelly, with its sweet, fruity flavor, matches with the smoke and heat of chipotle to season this oven-roasted pork tenderloin. In addition to the jelly, whole grapes are roasted along with the pork for a one-pan entree that's ready in just 35 minutes.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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Layering apple slices into grilled cheese sandwiches adds a little crunch to a favorite soup dipper. And creamy butternut squash soup with ginger, cumin and turmeric is a nice change of pace from grilled cheese's usual tomato soup partner. Serve the duo for a comforting and easy weeknight dinner for the family. The soup keeps well in the fridge, so save leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.

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Penne Pasta with Sausage, Butternut Squash & Chard

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Get dinner on the table even faster by using precubed butternut squash in this creamy pasta recipe. Found in the produce section of large grocery stores, the cut butternut is a little bigger than you need here, so you will have to do some chopping—but the peeling and gutting has been done for you. That means this easy healthy dinner takes just 35 minutes to prep. Score!

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Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables

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Everything bagel spices give these roasted pumpkin seeds an extra hit of flavor that's delicious any time of day.

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Cinnamon-Sugar Dusted Apple Cider Donuts

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Fluffy and light with a warm cinnamon flavor, you'll be craving these homemeade donuts (with a hot cup of coffee) all fall! Because apple cider can be harder to find year-round, take advantage of when it's "in season." Don't forget to make a few extra batches and freeze the donuts to enjoy when cider isn't available.

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Slow-Cooker Beef & Carrot Tagine with Almond Couscous