The 21 Most Popular Recipes of October 2020

October cooking is often full of squash and warm spices and the first pots of soup. But this year, especially, Epi readers also gravitated toward comfort food—creamy pasta, crispy chicken, fluffy flatbread, and slice after slice of tangy cheesecake. We’ve all been eating apple pie for breakfast, and making (fall-themed!) pancakes for dinner. Below you’ll find the most popular recipes on Epicurious from the past month—and maybe a little inspiration for the weeks to come.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi1/21Simple Classic Stuffing
Since many of you were cooking for Canadian Thanksgiving this month, we weren't shocked to see this recipe trending. But some of our editors—and perhaps some of you, too—cooked this simple, perfect stuffing without any holiday-related excuse. It's just that good.
Photo & Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin2/21Pumpkin Dutch Baby With Pumpkin Butter
It's hard for brunch recipes to get more autumnal than this creamy, custardy pancake, which is spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and topped with an easy homemade pumpkin butter. Does it work for a comforting dinner, too? Of course it does.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege3/21Creamy One-Pot Pasta With Sausage and Squash
October was all about easy dinners. This creamy, cheesy pasta sauce is a great foil for the pound of butternut squash scattered throughout the dish. The best part? Both the pasta and the sauce are made in one pot—no separate pot of boiling water needed.
Photo and Food Styling by Joseph De Leo4/21Yogurt and Spice Roasted Salmon
We'd never cubed salmon before coming across this recipe, and now it's one of our go-to moves. Increasing the surface area means crispy edges in just the oven-time that it takes the salmon to get silky and luscious inside.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton5/21Chicken and Potato Gratin With Brown Butter Cream
This new recipe from Epi contributor Christian Reynoso is all about the brown butter cream sauce. And the crunchy homemade breadcrumbs, which are crisped in the chicken drippings.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food styling by Leslie Raney Garetto6/21Our Favorite French Onion Soup
Hot soup, hot cheesy toasts, deeply caramelized onions: smells like fall.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo7/21Miso-Squash Ramen
If you're on a squash kick, we highly recommend this new brothy bowl from Epi contributor Hetty McKinnon. Roasting the squash with miso boosts its savory punch, and puréeing some into the soup itself makes the texture rich and creamy.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi8/21Our Favorite Apple Pie
This classic apple pie recipe gives you the flakiest crust, the most tender (but not mushy!) apples, and a pie plate that's empty all too soon.
9/21Panko-Crusted Roast Chicken Thighs With Mustard and Thyme
Slather bone-in thighs with a Dijon-thyme butter, coat in breadcrumbs, and sidle onto a baking sheet for an effortlessly crispy roast chicken dinner.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews10/21Crisp Roast Duck
There's no need to be intimidated by cooking duck. This impressive recipe is hardly any work at all, and gives you a juicy bird with wonderfully crisp skin.
Photo by Rush Jagoe11/21Pita
If you’ve only ever had dry supermarket pita, this is a different animal entirely: puffed up like a pillow, savory on its own, and ready to scoop up anything you like. Read chef Alon Shaya's tips on how to make pita before you start.
Alan Richardson12/21Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good
Every fall, home cook start stuffing their vegetables with bread and cheese. This classic Dorie Greenspan recipe gives you a stuffed pumpkin that's centerpiece-worthy.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce13/21Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)
In October, cookbook author Ramin Ganeshram shared her journey toward the fluffiest, most pillowy roti. This recipe is one worth celebrating.
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell14/21Creamy Pasta With Crispy Mushrooms
Many, many Epi readers made this pasta recipe during the month of October. We get it: Feathery maitakes, meaty oysters, creamy strands of pasta… we could devour a bowl right now.

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The Editors of Epicurious

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