There is one dish that appears pretty consistently on my weekly meal plan, and that is soup. Almost every week, there is a night designated for it — usually at the start of the week so that there are leftovers to dig into for lunch. There are so many reasons why it’s such a mainstay: It’s a one-pot affair, it often doesn’t need much else besides some crusty bread to call it dinner, and it’s infinitely adaptable depending on your mood.

Some weeks, it’s a soup loaded with enough veggies to get me back into a wholesome routine; other weeks it’s a heartier, cream-based or pasta-packed option. Whatever the situation, these 17 recipes are easy picks for your weeknight dinner roster.

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In Explain It Like I’m 6, a dietitian answers the burning health questions from Associate Food Editor Meghan Splawn‘s daughter, Ella.

In this mini series we’ve already answered most of Ella’s very thoughtful health questions. She asked her mom, Meghan, about protein, why she can’t eat ice cream every day, and why she should eat apples. Today we’re taking a step back and talking about why she should be eating fruits and veggies — period. Here’s Sally Kuzemchak of Real Mom Nutrition with the answer.

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The iconic KitchenAid mixer might be one of the most coveted pieces of cooking equipment and right now Sam’s Club has them at a steep discount. The mixer, which normally retails around $320, is going for $249.98 through tomorrow. You guys that’s a $70 discount! Get it while you still can!

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As a vegetarian, I eat beans — and lots of them. At least once a week, and usually far more often, I’ll find myself at the sink rinsing off canned kidney beans in a colander to rid them of the liquid glop from the can, or standing over a pot of dried chickpeas, giving it an occasional stir. In both instances, foam appears, and I’m vigilant about eradicating it — rinsing cooked beans until the water runs clear and skimming off the cloud of foam that appears on top of the pot of dried beans. After years — decades even — of these bean-prep habits, it occurs to me that maybe my foam eradication quest is not entirely necessary.

To find out, I reached out to nutritionists to find out what causes bean foam — and if it’s safe to eat.

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Pumpkin custard magic cake is a new take on a Thanksgiving dessert that’s chock-full of familiar flavors. Like vanilla magic cake, this is a unique treat with three layers of custardy dessert, all from a single batter. It’s thick at the bottom, rich and custardy in the middle, and fluffy like a super-moist sponge cake on top, making it guaranteed to satisfy the pumpkin pie, pumpkin custard, and pumpkin cake lovers in your crowd.

Perhaps best of all for the cook, pumpkin custard magic cake has to be made in advance and refrigerated, leaving plenty of oven space.

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Next week Target will roll out their newest house brand, Smartly, featuring 70 home essentials and toiletries, most for just $1 or $2. That includes plenty of kitchen products such as paper towels, dish soap, plastic sandwich bags, napkins, and paper lunch bags.

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Do you ever return home after a very long, very exhausting, very emotionally draining day and immediately trudge to the stove, boil a large pot of salted water, and make a bowl of pasta?

No, I’m the only one? Okay, you can stop reading now — goodbye!

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This recipe, created with my friend — the mother of a Syrian refugee family we hosted — takes a classic Thanksgiving stuffing and adds a Syrian twist. Commonly used celery is replaced by roasted chestnuts, and golden raisins are mixed with cranberries — but the tender pillow of soft bread remains. The result is a deliciously smoky-yet-sweet stuffing any turkey would love to be next to.

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September is very much a month of transitions. We swap our tank tops for sweaters, our lazy routine for a more strict one, and clear out the tomatoes and corn to make room for apples and pumpkin. Our most-saved vegetarian recipes this past month reflected this mood. Some of the recipes celebrated the last flavors of summer, while others were extra comforting in order to help make the dip in the temperature outside a little more tolerable.

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I’ve never been great at the whole lunch thing. I rarely have the foresight to prep things in advance, and buying lunch every day can really add up. So more often than not, I snack. A little bit of this and little bit of that becomes my surprisingly satisfying midday meal, with bonus points that I can assemble everything quickly — with little-to-no actual cooking. Here’s how I build my snack-box lunch.

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