apple cider donut muffins

Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

The 10 Recipes You Loved Most in October

Dive in to these soups, stews, and cozy bakes like they're a pile of freshly raked leaves.

By
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
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Published October 27, 2023
Sara Bir

All things cozy caught your eyes on Simply Recipes in October. Recipes for soups, stews, braises, and easy desserts with fall vibes hit big with our readers. You're in the mood for cozy food, and who can blame you? It's a rough world out there. But in your home kitchen, you call the shots. Serving up comfort food provides comfort indeed.

Looking at the 10 recipes below, I can vouch that you have great taste. These are fun, straightforward recipes that deliver big on flavor. We're proud to share them with you, from our homes to yours. And you in turn can share them with the people you love.

Creamer Poured into a Glass of Cold Brew Coffee

Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

1. Homemade Coffee Creamer

You can make rich and sweet coffee creamer with only three ingredients! Whole milk, brown sugar, and vanilla make up this easy DIY version that will save you money and keep additives from your daily dose of java.

Plate of batatas a murro

Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph

2. Batatas a Murro

So simple, yet so appealing. Don't you want to grab one of those little beauties and scarf it down right down? This Portuguese preparation is similar to smashed potatoes, but they're only gently pressed down (not smashed) before their second roasting. Plenty of chopped garlic plus salt and olive oil make sure they're flavor-forward.

Slice of cake in a small plate with a fork, and in the surroundings, another slice on top of a stack of plates, a glass of cream, a mug of coffee, and a baking pan with more cake

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

3. Lazy Daisy Cake

This is a midcentury snack cake recipe I came across in a community cookbook. Maybe you've seen versions in community cookbooks of your own. Miraculously, it only requires one bowl! Make a quick hot milk sponge cake and then, right after baking, top it with a brown sugar and coconut topping. Broil to caramelized perfection.

A halved apple cider donut muffin on a plate, and in the surroundings, a cup of apple cider vinegar and more muffins stacked on a plate

Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

4. Apple Cider Donut Muffins

If you've ever gone apple picking, you've likely enjoyed these at the orchard farmhouse with hot cider after brining in your haul. To duplicate the experience at her home, our recipe editor Laurel Randolph skips the frying oil and bakes these easy muffins instead. They're incredibly close to the original, right down to the final roll in cinnamon sugar.

A million dollar chicken breast on a plate with a fork, and in the surroundings, a parchment paper lined baking tray with more, a glass of water, and a table napkin

Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RDN

5. Million Dollar Chicken

Here's an easy way to dress up the same old chicken breasts. Top them with Million Dollar Dip, a rich affair of cream cheese, mayo, bacon, cheddar, and scallions created by chef Helen Corbit, who was a chef at Neiman Marcus' Dallas restaurant Zodiac in the 1950s. Author Sara Haas serves it on pounded boneless, skinless chicken breast for a weeknight main that's begging to enter your rotation.

Plate of pumpkin quickies, and in the background, a cup of coffee and more quickies on a cooling rack next to a coral kitchen towel

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

6. Pumpkin Quickies

This recipe is not kidding around. Mix a box of spice cake mix with a can of pumpkin, scoop onto baking sheets, and stick them in the oven. That's it! Two ingredients, one big win.

Bowls of hummus next to a small bowl of roasted chickpeas, another small bowl with chopped parsley, and a burnt orange kitchen towel, all on a wooden table

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayliss

7. Hummus Soup

Hummus soup? Yes, we're serious. The same ingredients that go into hummus—chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, and and lemon juice—comprise this creamy, easy soup. One can of chickpeas goes into the soup; the other you roast for the crispy chickpea topping. You've got to try this one to believe how good it is.

Ladle adding Filipino beef stew to a bowl with some stew, and in the surroundings, a bowl of rice, a small bowl of fish sauce, a Dutch oven with more stew, and a navy table napkin

Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

8. Nilagang Baka (Filipino Beef Stew)

The familiar stew ingredients of beef, carrots, potatoes, and onions get a welcome addition of cabbage, green beans, scallions, and a kiss of pungent fish sauce in this classic Filipino beef stew. It's an easy dinner that (like so many beloved Filipino dishes) is best served over steamed white rice.

Walking taco casserole with dollops of sour cream in a casserole dish with a serving spoon (casserole dish missing some casserole)

Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan

9. Walking Taco Casserole

This innovative casserole lets you enjoy the walking taco (AKA Frito pie) experience at home as a dinner main—no messing around with single-serving Fritos bags necessary!

Bowl of copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup on a plate with a piece of baguette and a spoon, and in the surroundings, a glass of water, a blue kitchen towel, and a small bowl of shredded cheese

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

10. Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

If your Panera habit is steadily siphoning funds from your budget, here's an affordable way to recreate this popular menu staple at home. The secret to its incredibly smooth texture? A little Velveeta added in with the cheddar.