25 Easy and Comforting Fall Dinners For the Busiest of Weekdays

Classic spaghetti carbonara gets a Fall makeover with the subtle sweetness of butternut squash, which is roasted and then pureed with salty pasta water to form a creamy sauce. After tasting the wonderful way the squash mingles with salty bacon and nutty parmesan, you'll wonder why it wasn't always a staple carbonara ingredient.

Get the recipe: butternut squash carbonara

It's a well known fact that apple cider is a delicious autumnal beverage, but it's lesser known that when combined with Dijon mustard, it makes a fabulous sauce for chicken. With brown-sugary, cinnamon-rich caramelized apples on the side, this dish is like dinner and dessert at the same time.

Get the recipe: apple cider chicken with caramelized apples

Simple butternut squash soup is mouthwatering when jazzed up with pumpkin ale, apple cider, and sharp white cheddar cheese — though it's a mystery how any soup wouldn't be delicious with a topping like grilled cheese croutons.

Get the recipe: butternut squash, apple cider, and cheddar soup with grilled cheese croutons

Chicken, bacon, and pasta are already three very enticing words, but it gets better: they're tossed in a creamy, nutmegy pumpkin sauce and baked with mozzarella and parmesan until rich and bubbly.

Get the recipe: chicken bacon pumpkin pasta bake

Warmth is the name of the game with this cozy Fall soup you can feel good about. It's chock-full of protein-rich white beans, kale, carrots, and celery — and it gets tons of flavor from sausage, rosemary, and garlic.

Get the recipe: Italian sausage, white bean, and kale soup

Eating grilled cheese for dinner is highly encouraged when it's got the adult twist of Fall-forward fig jam, plus bitter arugula, salty prosciutto, and melted provolone.

Get the recipe: prosciutto provolone fig grilled cheese

This lasagna is made especially decadent with heavy whipped cream (unusual but genius) and fragrant with rosemary and sage. The assembly will be well worth it when you have an entire tray of the cheesy dish to last you all week.

Get the recipe: butternut squash lasagna

Cold and crispy brussels sprouts salad perfectly cuts through the richness of tender pork chops, generously coated in mayo, barbecue sauce, honey, and yellow and grainy mustards.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker honey mustard pork chops with brussels sprouts salad

Looking for a way to use that can of black beans in your pantry? This is it. These crispy quesadillas are filled with butternut squash — which is mashed and mixed with lime juice and taco seasoning — and soft black beans, then drizzled with as much chipotle lime crema as your heart desires.

Get the recipe: black bean butternut squash quesadillas

This garlicky, red peppery, cheesy linguine is so yummy and full of interesting textures, you'll forget you're getting a virtuous serving of beans and greens.

Get the recipe: garlicky linguine with kale and chickpeas

Balsamic glaze isn't just for salads; it's lick-the-pan good on 30-minute roasted chicken and veggies.

Get the recipe: sheet-pan honey balsamic chicken and brussels sprouts

If the change in seasons has you feeling under the weather, the invigorating spices in this curry soup will bring you back to life. Flavored with aromatic curry powder, cloves, ginger, coriander, and cumin, it'll be almost as good to smell as it is to eat.

Get the recipe: curried pumpkin soup

Another winner from Ina Garten, this easy pasta bake comes together in less than an hour. Radicchio is bitter on its own, but it's perfectly balanced by rich heavy cream and ricotta, nutty parmesan, and earthy gorgonzola, mushrooms, and sage.

Get the recipe: baked pasta with mushrooms and radicchio

This Mexican "lasagna" is really just a perfect name for "enchiladas for lazy people." Instructions include cooking the filling until the spices make "your kitchen smell legit." Sounds easy enough!

Get the recipe: black-bean-and-pumpkin Mexican lasagna

There is no dairy to be found in this nutritious yet wonderfully creamy alfredo sauce. It's fantastic over fettuccine, but you'll soon want to pour it on everything you eat.

Get the recipe: cauliflower fettuccine alfredo

This colorful salad is full of interesting textures and bright flavors like crunchy kale and brussels sprouts, soft lentils, crunchy toasted pecans, sweet cranberries, and juicy clementines. Its sweet and tangy dressing softens the crisp greens and ties each flavor together.

Get the recipe: brussels sprouts, kale, and lentil salad

Tender, golden brown pork chops with thyme are filled with a contrasting mixture of tart apples, pungent blue cheese, and sweet onion. A few hours in the slow cooker makes each flavor and texture pop with intensity.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker apple-stuffed pork chops

Butternut squash and monterey jack cheese create a melty, gooey filling that mingles deliciously with chili-rich red sauce. These make a satisfying dinner any weeknight, but they're also worth whipping up as a vegetarian Thanksgiving dish.

Get the recipe: butternut squash enchiladas

This baked meal employs cubed ciabatta bread to soak up tasty bacon drippings and nutmeg to marry the Fall flavors of squash and caramelized onion. A chicken thigh on top creates a complete meal that anyone would love.

Get the recipe: chicken thighs with caramelized onions, butternut squash, and bacon

Wide, hollow rigatoni is the perfect bite-size pasta to achieve maximum sauce coating, which is definitely what you want when said sauce includes cream, butternut squash, crispy pancetta, sage fried in browned butter, and a ton of parmesan cheese.

Get the recipe: creamy butternut squash rigatoni with pancetta and brown butter fried sage

Nothing screams "weeknight dinner" like "one pan," so here's a weekday meal that packs multiple flavors in a single dish. This spicy and savory casserole comes together with just a few basic ingredients, and it's topped with wedges of avocado and a healthy chipotle yogurt sauce.

Get the recipe: Mexican quinoa sweet potato casserole

Now, it's not cheesy, greasy, or doughy, but that doesn't mean it isn't comfort food. This veggie-rich curry dish, made with homemade coconut rice, cauliflower florets, and ginger and garam masala, is good enough to rival your favorite Indian takeout.

Get the recipe: chickpea coconut curry with sweet potatoes

This recipe sounds so good, I literally just ordered a slow cooker on Amazon. Red lentils are made creamy with coconut milk, hearty with sweet potatoes, and superflavorful with spices. You'll want to serve big ol' spoonfuls over naan or veggies.

Get the recipe: crock-pot sweet potato lentils

Meaty mushrooms, whole-wheat penne, and healthy cauliflower sauce totally justify the butter and gruyere cheese in this addictive, gooey pasta bake, perfect for feeding a hungry bunch.

Get the recipe: healthy mushroom alfredo pasta bake

You could celebrate the return of pomegranate season with loads of juice, or you could sprinkle the seeds onto this easy sheet-pan chicken — sticky and finger-lickin' good when glazed with Thai chili sauce, pomegranate juice, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic and served over rice.

Get the recipe: sheet-pan sticky pomegranate chicken and honey-roasted squash