We consider November the Olympics of cooking, since the biggest annual food holiday looms at the end of the month. If you’re anything like us, cooking fatigue can be very real this time of year, but no one wants to run out of steam before they reach the finish line. (In case you forgot, there are 29 other days that you’ll need to make dinner, apart from Thanksgiving.) That’s why we’ve got you covered with 30 November dinner ideas that are as fuss-free as they are delicious. We’re talking slow cooker dishes, sheet-pan meals and make-ahead recipes that are destined for your dinner table.
30 November Dinner Ideas That Are Low-Lift, Holiday-Ready and Delicious
November 1: Sheet-Pan Lemon Butter Veggies and Sausage
The only easier way to make dinner is to order takeout. Serve this sheet pan gem with bread, pasta or rice, so not a drop of the citrusy butter sauce goes to waste.
November 2: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs
We love meatballs and we love chicken tikka masala…so what could be better than a combo of the two? This Crockpot wonder boasts layers of flavor, but only requires minimal effort on your end.
November 3: Spicy Lemon-Ginger Chicken Soup
November 4: Buckwheat Gnocchi with Cabbage, Potatoes and Fontina
Homemade pasta in 40 minutes? Believe it. This dish is actually super simple to execute since everything gets cooked in the same pot.
November 5: Instant Pot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
November 6: Pizza with Butternut Squash Sauce
Friday will always be pizza night in our book, and this pie has a fun, autumnal twist. The garlicky butternut squash sauce is spiked with fresh herbs, and it's topped with gooey mozz and creamy ricotta.
November 7: Crispy Chickpeas and Scallops with Garlic-Harissa Oil
Don't let the scallops intimidate you: Just because they're a bit of a splurge doesn't mean they're difficult to prepare. In fact, they only need about two minutes of searing per side.
November 8: Tomato and White Bean Stew on Toast
With your big Thanksgiving plans, this is not the time to go all out on a weeknight meal. Save your energy for the big feast and keep it simple with a pot of homemade beans.
November 9: One-Pan Steak with Beets and Crispy Kale
And you thought cooking steak at home was a tall order. These cuts of beef tenderloin only need about three minutes per side under the broiler to cook to juicy perfection.
November 10: Chickpea and Vegetable Coconut Curry
We kid you not, this hearty, filling curry is one of the easiest dishes we've ever made. Plus, with so many pantry ingredients on the list, you probably already have much of what you need in your kitchen right now.
November 11: One-Pan Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Romaine
Bring on the omega-3s—and tender-yet-crispy spuds. You make your main course and sides all at once on a single sheet pan, so you'll have minimal pots and pans to clean later. Win-win.
November 12: French Onion Grilled Cheese
The most comforting soup and the coziest sandwich of all time on one plate—it's an autumn miracle. The sammy has everything you crave in the O.G. soup, from buttery caramelized onions to gooey Gruyère.
November 13: Orzotto with Winter Squash and Rosemary
If you could make risotto without stirring nonstop and babysitting the stove all night, you'd get this decadent orzotto. Take your pick of honeynut, butternut or kabocha squash.
November 14: Garlicky Spinach and Chickpea Soup with Lemon and Pecorino Romano
Can you believe this crowd-pleaser only requires 25 minutes of your time? The couscous cooks right on the sheet pan in chicken stock, so you won't have to wait for a pot of water to boil to prepare it.
November 15: Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
Your kids' takeout favorite, minus the delivery fee. Make a pot of steamed white rice for serving and finish each bowl with a flourish of sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
November 16: Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Believe it or not, the store-bought gnocchi gets soft on the inside and crispy on the outside without a single second of boiling. Chalk it up to a drizzle of olive oil and your trusty baking sheet.
November 17: Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet
November 18: Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Salmon
From the Brussels and butternut squash to the bright mustard marinade, this dinner screams fall. The fish would pair well with wild rice, pasta or greens.
November 19: Caramelized Mushroom Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
These caramelized shrooms are savory, chewy and a far cry from the wet, spongy ones found on carryout pizza. The shatteringly crisp prosciutto is just a bonus.
November 20: Cast-Iron Pork Chops with Cacao-Spiced Rub
The trick to tender, juicy pork chops? Bringing them to room temperature and salting them 45 minutes before cooking. (Oh, and the bold dry rub would taste divine on ribs, BTW.)
November 21: Citrus, Shrimp and Quinoa Salad with Feta
Behold, a 20-minute salad that’s packed with protein (thanks, shrimp) and tastes even better if you prepare it a day in advance. Take your pick of citrus, but we're partial to grapefruits and clementines.
November 22: Roasted Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Aka the best way to empty your fridge's forlorn crisper drawer. It'll be hard not to lick the casserole dish clean, but might we suggest freezing the leftovers (or making a second batch) to reheat on Thanksgiving?
November 23: Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad
We love that this pasta salad has crunchy, salty and sweet elements to it. But the best thing about it is that it will keep in the fridge until Thanksgiving (and taste just as good on the big day as it does on the 23rd).
November 24: Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
It's Thanksgiving, so duh. The slow cooker makes for the moistest turkey of your life, promise. While you're at it, try our make-ahead mashed potatoes, stuffing muffins, vegetarian gravy and five-ingredient red wine cranberry sauce on for size, too.
November 25: Spicy Turkey Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seeds
Those leftover turkey sandwiches won’t know what hit them when this seasonal beauty graces the table. Take a whack at toasting the pumpkin seeds yourself—it’s easier than you think.
November 26: Mashed Potato Fritters with Smoked Salmon and Chives
November 27: Fall Charcuterie Board with Black Pepper–Honey Brie, Figs and Rosemary
After all that hosting, you deserve a low-lift dinner that doesn't require a moment of cooking (once you're done with leftovers, anyway). Enter this fancy cheese board that's endlessly riffable and decidedly drool-worthy.
November 28: Baking Sheet Pizza with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
We love you, store-bought pizza dough. This cheater's pie is piled high with easy jarred tomato sauce, three types of cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and marinated olives.
November 29: Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Bacon
November 30: Mushroom Carnitas
No one at your table will see this vegetarian take on pork carnitas coming. Here, Portobello mushrooms take over for meat, while pickled beet mayo stands in for typical sour cream or Mexican crema.
Katherine Gillen is PureWow's senior food editor. With professional training in cooking and baking and four-plus years writing about all things food, she can tell you which cutting boards are worth your money, which knives will last you a lifetime and exactly what you're doing wrong with your slow cooker (plus how to fix it).
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.