Readers Couldn’t Get Enough of These 10 Pioneer Woman Recipes in October
If easy meals in spring and summer mean salads tossed with fresh ingredients, the fall equivalent has to be a comforting meal that can simmer for hours while you go about your day. For Ree, that means tossing something into the slow cooker before tending to the cows, visiting baby Charlie , and testing recipes inspired by her and Ladd's recent trip to Italy —but that's just one way to spend a fall day.
Whether you're dashing home from work to cozy up for a fall movie , grabbing apple cider donuts at the pumpkin patch, or curling up with a scary book, the appeal of a comforting meal that takes care of itself is universal. Pioneer Woman readers seemed to agree: Soups, slow cooker meals , and fall chicken dinners were among the recipes they loved most this October.
Missed last month? Here are the recipes readers were loving in September .
1) Best Lasagna Ever
This is one of Ree's go-to recipes when she needs to feed a crowd or bring a dish to a potluck—and it comes with a little nostalgia, too. Her mom has been making this lasagna for decades, so it's a recipe that Ree has loved for years.
Get Ree's Best Lasagna Ever recipe .
2) Perfect Potato Soup
For Ree, there's a fine line to making potato soup. It needs to be creamy but not too thick, chunky but not overwhelmingly so, and packed with flavor. She says this recipe lands right in the sweet spot.
Get Ree's Perfect Potato Soup recipe .
3) Shepherd's Pie
If comfort were a dish, it'd have to be in the form of shepherd's pie. What's not to love about a beef and veggie base topped with a creamy layer of mashed potatoes? It's warm, filling, and freezer-friendly, so you can make it and save some for later.
Get Ree's Shepherd's Pie recipe .
4) Lentil Soup
In the presence of potato soup, chili, and squash soup, it's easy to overlook this hearty bowl of legumes. But it's not to be underestimated, it's packed with protein and gets plenty of flavor from spices and herbs. Not to mention, a splash of red wine vinegar in the mix brightens it all up.
Get Ree's Lentil Soup recipe .
5) Perfect Pot Roast
Ree's got pot roast down to a science—and yes, it really is a science. The cut of meat, the cooking time, and how well you brown the ingredients all make a difference. This recipe walks you through each step, so you can make a tender, flavorful pot roast at home—without all the years of Ree's trial and error.
Get Ree's Perfect Pot Roast recipe .
6) Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
That pretty butternut squash at the grocery store isn't just for decoration. Roast it, puree it, and add a little seasoning, and you've got a dang good dinner. Keep it simple, or dress it up with a chipotle-lime twist or an apple-bacon topping.
Get the Simple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe .
7) Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is one of Ree's all-time favorite soups , and it couldn't be easier to make. There's no precooking, sautéing, or browning required—just toss everything into the slow cooker and let it do its thing. It makes a generous batch, too, so it's just the thing for feeding a crowd at your next tailgate.
Get Ree's Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe .
8) Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo
Soups and stews get plenty of love in fall, but pasta is a comfort food any time of year. Let the slow cooker do the work, and you'll have a creamy chicken alfredo to look forward to at dinnertime. As Ree puts it, the recipe is, "one of the most wonderful things in life." It's hard to argue with that!
Get Ree's Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo recipe .
9) Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie is one of those flexible recipes that can work with whatever time you have. Use a store-bought pie crust or make your own, start with rotisserie chicken or cook it yourself, and reach for fresh ingredients or their frozen counterparts.
Get Ree's Chicken Pot Pie recipe .
10) Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
This recipe set to low and slow in the cooker yields the "juiciest, most tender chicken thighs possible," says Ree. The key is to sear the meat before it goes in. Add in some hearty seasoned vegetables as an easy side.
Get Ree's Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs recipe .
You Might Also Like
