Recipes

21 Easy Weeknight Dinners for November

Fondue beans on toast, stuffing-crusted fish, butternut squash orzo, and more cozy dinners for peak fall.
StuffingCrusted Fish on a white plate on black lined fabric
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness

As daylight dwindles and the November chill settles in, dinner calls for something cozy. Think chicken thighs nestled into caramelized onions, pasta slicked with brown butter, and hearty soups that practically demand a hunk of crusty bread. It’s time to lean into comfort food.

The good news? You don’t need to spend your whole Sunday cooking to make dinner feel special, so you’ll have plenty of time for that When Harry Met Sally rewatch. These 21 easy weeknight dinners deliver all the comfort without the commitment. There’s a three-ingredient pumpkin soup, gochujang chicken that gets a quick blast under the broiler, and a smoky one-pan pasta made with pantry staples. Plus a few Thanksgiving-adjacent flavors—sage, stuffing, squash—because the holiday is right around the corner.

Jump ahead
  • Gochujangyogurt marinated chicken thighs on a plate with a bowl of gochujangyogurt sauce and tongs.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely
    1/21

    Gochujang Yogurt Chicken

    Greek yogurt tenderizes the chicken quickly, but the real weeknight win is the broiler: just 15 minutes under high heat, and you’ve got dinner.

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  • Chicken meatballs with green beans served on a bed of white rice and topped with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams
    2/21

    Chicken Meatballs With Sesame Green Beans

    Juicy chicken meatballs and crisp-tender sesame green beans roast on opposite sides of the same sheet pan, streamlining both dinner prep and cleanup.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable Meal Dish and Produce
    Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Sean Dooley
    3/21

    Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

    This speedy stir-fry recipe brings together thin strips of boneless pork shoulder and crisp-tender bok choy for a satisfying, weeknight-ready dinner.

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  • A bowl of carrots beef cabbage and avocado. Plated on a green surface
    Photographs Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Christine Keely, Food Styling by Taneka Morris
    4/21

    Soboro Don

    Savory ground beef, fluffy scrambled eggs, and crisp vegetables turn a bowl of steamed rice into a satisfying Japanese dinner that’s ready in 35 minutes.

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  • StuffingCrusted Fish on a white plate on black lined fabric
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness
    5/21

    Stuffing-Crusted Fish

    Give boxed stuffing mix a new lease on life with this clever, holiday-inspired crust. Mixed with Parmesan, lemon zest, parsley, and butter, it gives tender fish a golden, crispy topping. Genius.

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  • A salmon fillet glazed in soy sauce mirin and sugar in a pan topped with sesame seeds and curled scallions.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Erika Joyce, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley
    6/21

    Broiled Salmon Teriyaki

    Brushed with a sticky, sweet teriyaki sauce, then hurled under the broiler, this salmon develops a glossy, caramelized finish in a matter of minutes.

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  • Roast cod with crispy topping and potatoes on a sheet pan with one serving removed to a plate.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Christina Allen
    7/21

    Roast Cod With Chorizo Crisp

    This easy sheet-pan dinner pairs tender cod with a savory chorizo topping. Big flavor, minimal effort, and only one pan to wash.

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  • Pured spinach white onions ginger turmeric and Greek yogurt in a bowl with chickpeas and served with white rice and limes.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness
    8/21

    Chickpea Saag

    Canned chickpeas and frozen spinach make this richly spiced saag quick to prepare—and any leftovers taste even better the next day.

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  • Crispy tofu cubes coated in creamy peanut sauce served over white rice with cilantro and lime wedges.
    Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
    9/21

    Crispy Tofu With Peanut Sauce

    Inspired by satay, this saucy, lip-smacking tofu dish comes together in 30 minutes in just one skillet—so cleanup is a breeze.

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  • A fondue in a dutch oven made from melted Gruyère cannellini beans butter garlic white wine and dijon mustard served on...
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Christine Keely
    10/21

    Creamy Fondue Beans

    Cheesy, creamy, and deeply comforting, these fondue-inspired beans bring a little alpine indulgence to an ordinary Tuesday. Serving them over crusty bread is a must.

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  • A bowl of mezze rigatoni brussels sprouts and pecans in a dark maroon bowl.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness
    11/21

    Brussels Sprout Pasta

    Nutty brown butter, crunchy pecans, and hot Italian sausage make this an easy dinner bursting with fall flavors. One reader reports, “Made me feel like a 5-star chef.”

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  • A plate of shrimp scampi pasta spaghetti tossed with noodles crushed red pepper flakes and parsley in a garlic butter sauce.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Alex Massillon, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
    12/21

    Shrimp Scampi Pasta

    Buttery, garlicky shrimp scampi meets pasta in this weeknight-friendly dinner. A splash of white wine and a pinch of red pepper flakes make the sauce sing.

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  • Cooked butternut squash with orzo and sage in red bowls
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley
    13/21

    Butternut Squash Orzo With Fried Sage

    Canned butternut squash purée (find it by the canned pumpkin!) makes this cozy, cold-weather recipe come together in a snap. Vegetable broth and certified vegetarian parm keep it meat-free, but chicken broth works if that’s what you’ve got.

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  • A white plate of winding spaghetti topped with chopped cilantro and nuts all against a white lace table setting.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen
    14/21

    Smoky Brown-Butter Pasta

    Four ingredients are all you need for these grown-up buttered noodles. Toasted almonds and parsley are totally optional, but add welcome texture and zing.

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  • Two bowls of red miso soup with shredded chicken kabocha kale and ditalini.
    Photo by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
    17/21

    Miso Chicken Soup With Squash and Tiny Pasta

    This comforting chicken noodle soup is ideal for chilly evenings or sick days. Chicken breast, kabocha squash, and tiny ditalini cook right in the broth.

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  • Image may contain Burger Food and Sandwich
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    18/21

    Kale Reuben

    A vegetarian spin on the classic Reuben swaps in hearty kale for the meat but keeps the melty cheese and tangy sauerkraut. One reader reports, “I didn’t miss the pastrami one bit.”

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  • Two bowls of bright orange curry lentil soup topped with coconut milk and cilantro.
    Photo by Alex Lau
    19/21

    Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup

    Made almost entirely from pantry ingredients—S&B curry powder, red lentils, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk—this cozy soup is, as one reviewer puts it, “way more delicious than it should be.”

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  • Two halves of a classic tuna melt sandwich stacked on a plate with potato chips covered in Frank's red hot and a pickle...
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams
    20/21

    A Perfect Tuna Melt

    When dinner needs to get on the table pronto, a tuna melt is hard to beat: pantry-friendly, cheesy, and comforting.

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  • Pumpkin Curry soup in a white bowl with a spoon sweeping through
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Linden Elstran, Food Styling Kaitlin Wayne
    21/21

    3-Ingredient Curry Pumpkin Soup

    This fiery soup has a shockingly trim ingredient list: curry paste (we like Maesri), a can of pumpkin purée, and coconut milk. Perfect for busy November weeknights.

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Nina works across Bon Appétit and Epicurious, solving mysteries like “Why do beans make us fart?” and “What is that white stuff oozing out of my chicken?” She also edits and produces recurring columns like It’s That Simple, Me, Myself, and Dinner, Well Stocked, and has even developed a recipe ... Read More
Associate Editor, Cooking
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