Food Ideas for October: What to Make for Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast, and More

Our food ideas for October cover all meals of the day. We have ideas to answer the daily question of ‘what’s for dinner’, along with ideas to give you variety for breakfast and lunch.

All of our calendars you can get as printables below. You can follow along or simply use the calendars as and when you need some ideas.

Dinner Ideas

Our October dinner ideas contain a blend of heartier favorites, lighter meals, and opportunities to use seasonal produce. Be sure to explore Be My Recipe to find not just recipes for October, but all times of the year also.

• Chicken meatballs & mashed potatoes
• Butternut squash soup & grilled cheese
• Steak & fries
• Pan-seared white fish with lemon and side salad
• Chili with cornbread
• Lentil soup & bread
• Shredded beef tacos
• Potato leek soup
• Turkey meatballs and couscous
• Pizza night
• Apple-glazed pork chops and veggies
• Stuffed peppers
• Minestrone soup
• Enchiladas
• Baked salmon and veggies
• Chicken & orzo pasta
• Burger night
• Stuffed butternut squash
• Shepherd’s pie
• Veggie frittata and side salad
• Lemon garlic shrimp and pasta
• Roast chicken and veggies
• Quesadillas & guacamole
• Steak sandwiches
• Chicken noodle soup
• Meatloaf and mashed potatoes
• White bean soup
• Shrimp fried rice
• Spaghetti bolognese
• Burrito bowl
• Chili dogs

Get the Dinner Ideas printable here.

Breakfast Ideas

No doubt you’ve got your go-to breakfast routine. However, if you’re looking for a little more variety and something different, we have a wide selection of dishes you can make in the morning.

• Greek yogurt with nuts and fruits
• Oatmeal with apples and banana
• Spinach banana smoothie
• Scrambled eggs on avocado toast
• Greek yogurt parfait with berries
• Cereal and milk
• Overnight chia pudding
• Greek yogurt with mixed berries
• Oatmeal with mixed berries
• Yogurt parfait
• Breakfast burrito (with scrambled eggs)
• Sausage frittata
• Egg and bacon breakfast muffin (make-ahead)
• Apple cinnamon oatmeal
• Croissant and fresh fruit
• Pumpkin spice muffin (make-ahead)
• Banana and almond/nut butter
• Poached eggs on toast
• Cinnamon oatmeal with raisins
• Granola and yogurt
• Apple slices and almond/nut butter
• Toasted bagel with cream cheese
• Oatmeal with pears
• Chia pudding with tropical fruit
• Cinnamon rolls
• Banana blueberry pancakes
• Yogurt parfait with fresh fruit
• Apple slices and cheddar cheese
• Granola bars
• Toast & jam
• Savory oatmeal

Get the Breakfast Ideas printable here.

Lunch Ideas

Our October lunch ideas contain sandwiches, wraps, salads, and soups for the whole month. You can make most of them in the morning, while some you can prepare the night before.

• Ham and cheese wrap
• Chicken salad wrap
• Chickpea and avocado salad
• Tomato basil soup & grilled cheese
• Caprese sandwich and side salad
• Chicken and avocado sandwich
• Veggie & hummus wrap
• Tuna salad sandwich
• Fall harvest salad
• Minestrone soup
• Spinach and apple chicken salad
• Caprese salad
• Turkey & cheese sandwich
• Egg salad sandwich
• Mediterranean salad
• Cottage cheese with fresh fruit
• Spinach and banana smoothie
• Ham and cheese panini
• Grain bowl with roasted squash
• Chicken and avocado wrap
• Caesar salad
• Mixed green salad
• Corn chowder
• Veggie wrap
• Melon salad
• Roasted beet salad
• Mushroom & cheese wrap
• Tuna melt
• Vegetable soup
• Crab cake with side salad
• Arugula, pear, and walnut salad

Get the Lunch Ideas printable here.

Veggies in Season in October

We’ve not only put together a selection of seasonal vegetables to look for in October, but also a wide selection of dishes you could make with them.

Brussels Sprouts

• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Sautéed brussels sprouts with bacon
• Brussels sprouts gratin
• Shaved brussels sprouts salad
• Stir-fried brussels sprouts

Parsnips

• Roasted parsnips
• Parsnip mash
• Parsnip carrot soup
• Parsnip fries or chips
• Parsnip gratin

Turnips

• Roasted turnips
• Mashed turnips
• Turnip soup
• Pickled turnips
• Braised turnips

Pumpkins

• Pumpkin pie
• Roasted pumpkin cubes
• Pumpkin soup
• Pumpkin bread
• Pumpkin risotto

Winter squash

• Stuffed acorn squash
• Butternut squash soup
• Butternut squash mac and cheese
• Roasted delicata squash
• Stuffed spaghetti squash

Cabbage

• Stuffed cabbage rolls
• Braised cabbage
• Cabbage soup
• Cabbage stir-fry
• Sautéed cabbage

Broccoli

• Broccoli cheese casserole
• Broccoli quiche
• Broccoli salad
• Broccoli frittata
• Roasted broccoli

More

• Southern-style braised collard greens
• Roasted root vegetable medley
• Braised chicory
• Creamed leeks
• Carrot fries
• Sweet potato mash
• Kale salad
• Sautéed kale
• Sautéed Swiss chard
• French onion soup

Get the October Veggies Printable here.

Fruit in Season in October

Our fruits in season ideas are full of tasty suggestions for using the fruit you’re most likely to see in the supermarkets throughout the month.

Persimmons

• Persimmon jam
• Persimmon bread
• Persimmon sorbet
• Persimmon tart
• Persimmon and brie crostini

Pomegranates

• Citrus salad with pomegranate
• Pomegranate-glazed roast chicken
• Pomegranate molasses
• Pomegranate yogurt parfait
• Pomegranate salsa

Quinces

• Quince jam or jelly
• Poached quinces
• Quince paste and cheese
• Quince and apple crumble
• Quince pie

Apples

• Apple pie
• Apple crumble
• Apple fritters
• Apple-glazed pork chops
• Apple butter

Pears

• Poached pears
• Pear galette
• Pear crisp
• Pear muffins
• Pear and prosciutto crostini

Cranberries

• Cranberry sauce
• Cranberry smoothie
• Cranberry muffins
• Cranberry salad with greens and goat cheese
• Cranberry tart

Figs

• Fig granola bars
• Fig and chocolate oatmeal bars
• Baked brie with figs and honey
• Fig jam and goat cheese crostini
• Charcuterie board with fig jam

More

• Grape salad with yogurt
• Roasted grapes
• Plum tart
• Roasted plums
• Plum chutney

Get the October Fruit Printable here.

More October Meals to Enjoy

These must-try October dishes cover all occasions. There are foods for all times of the day, including seasonal soups, salads, and mains. Whether you’re meal planning for the week or looking to make some special for a weekend get-together, get inspired with these suggestions.

Soups

• Roasted butternut squash soup
• Pumpkin soup
• Potato leek soup
• Chicken noodle soup
• French onion soup
• Cauliflower soup
• Lasagna soup
• Bean soup
• Lentil soup
• Broccoli cheddar soup

Appetizers

• Apple and brie crostini
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Crab cakes
• Fig jam and brie crostini
• Caramelized onion dip

Salads

• Cobb salad
• Fall harvest salad
• Roasted beet salad with goat cheese
• Pear & mixed greens salad with parmesan
• Roasted vegetable salad

Mains

• Stuffed acorn squash
• Chili
• Beef stew
• Stuffed peppers
• Stuffed butternut squash
• Roast chicken and root vegetables
• Sausage and peppers
• Pasta bolognese
• Eggplant parmesan
• Grilled cheese
• Lasagna
• Enchiladas
• Apple-glazed pork chops
• Chicken potpie
• Spaghetti and meatballs

Sides

• Mac and cheese
• Twice-baked potato
• Stuffed baked sweet potato
• Roasted vegetables
• Butternut squash pasta
• Butternut squash risotto
• Sweet potato casserole
• Southern-style collard greens
• Roasted parsnips
• Roasted brussels sprouts

Desserts

• Pumpkin pie
• Caramel apples
• Candy corn
• Baked apples
• Apple pie

Get the October Meals Printable here.

You may also enjoy our other October printables and Fall printables and ideas.