Dinners to Eat in November

My lineup of Dinners to Eat in November is all cozy, crowd-feeding comfort. They’re the kind of dinners that warm you from the inside and make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers, from a bubbling pot of French onion soup to an impressive holiday-season roast.

I love November for this exact reason: it gives me full permission to cook the cozy stuff again. There’s something about walking into my warm kitchen on a cold, dark evening, with a pot of something rich and savory on the stove, that just makes everything feel better.

The flavors I come back to all month are deep, savory, and comforting. My favorite since I was a child is French onion soup; I just love all those sweet caramelized onions under a lid of bubbling, golden Gruyère. When I want to feed a crowd without much effort, I reach for hamburger soup and baked ziti with sausage. If you’re cooking a big turkey dinner, my turkey shepherd’s pie is my favorite way to eat the leftovers. And I always make the fall brussels sprouts salad alongside all this richness, because a little orange and pomegranate keeps everything feeling bright.

What I love most, though, is how easy most of these are when life is busy. The honey garlic chicken thighs and Parmesan chicken meatballs are quick enough that I make them often on a weeknight. For a tasty, make-ahead dinner, my spinach tomato strata is ideal. And when I want to really wow people, the Italian porchetta is a real showstopper. Scroll through, save a few favorites, and let them carry you through my favorite cozy month of the year.

French Onion Soup Recipe

Recipe video above. I've made a lot of French onion soup and have learned how to make it taste fantastic. The trick is to cook the onions in two batches. The first onions you add to the pot cook for so long that they break down and become part of the stock, enriching the onion flavor. The second set of onions caramelizes, adding the wonderful bites of onion you expect from this soup. It's a winning combo.

I top the soup with homemade croutons instead of bread slices for extra flavor and easier eating.

5 stars (8 ratings)

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Leftover Turkey Shepherd’s Pie (That Doesn’t Taste Like Leftovers)

Shredded turkey, sweet peas, and soft sautéed vegetables in a savory tomato base, topped with warm mashed potatoes and baked in one skillet. It’s made without gravy, so it tastes fresh instead of like leftovers.

4.98 stars (36 ratings)

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Hamburger Soup Recipe

Hamburgers soup is an easy to make and delicious soup made with lean ground beef, veggies, and a richly flavored broth. It's inexpensive to make and reheats beautifully. 

4.99 stars (66 ratings)

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Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with a Sticky Broiled Glaze

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs baked until golden, then dipped in a boiled honey garlic sauce with a touch of molasses and broiled on both sides for a sticky, lacquered finish. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a big green salad.

5 stars (39 ratings)

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Parmesan Chicken Meatballs with Cheesy Tomato Orzo Recipe

This cozy meal is one of my personal favorites as it's both full of flavor and simple to prepare. Baking the meatballs leaves you hands-free for making the orzo so both parts of the meal are ready at the same time.

4.91 stars (10 ratings)

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Cheesy Baked Ziti with Sausage and Pesto

My baked ziti with sausage is saucy, cheesy, and full of cozy Italian flavor. Rich marinara, browned sausage, spinach, melty cheese, and little pockets of pesto come together in an easy pasta bake that takes just 20 minutes to prep.

5 stars (9 ratings)

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Italian Porchetta (All-Belly Pork Roast)

This porchetta recipe is as good as it gets. It's all-belly porchetta with rich and tender meat flavored with fennel and traditional Italian seasonings and has the crispiest, chicharron-like crackling. And won't worry, making this famous Italian dish is surprisingly simple.

4.86 stars (67 ratings)

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Tomato Spinach Strata Recipe

This spinach tomato strata is a lighter take on traditional strata, but you'd never know it. It's crusty bread layered with a generous amount of spinach, cherry tomatoes, and feta, then baked until golden. It's easy to make and assemble ahead of time, and it's ready in just over an hour.

4.98 stars (37 ratings)

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Fall Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe

This fall brussels sprouts salad has all our favorite seasonal produce packed into one beautiful salad! Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, walnuts, mandarin orange, and pomegranate seeds are tossed in a vibrant orange lemon dressing. It's ready in just 55 minutes and tastes great all season long!

4.94 stars (44 ratings)

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Tuscan Chicken Soup Recipe

This Tuscan chicken soup is a comforting spin on an Italian classic. A mix of vegetables, tender chicken, and white beans are simmered in a rich Italian broth, then topped with crunchy croutons. Make it on the stovetop or in a crockpot for a satisfying meal any day of the week!

4.95 stars (50 ratings)

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