Best New Weeknight Cookbooks for Fall 2019

best new weeknight cookbooks fall 2019

If you’re always on the lookout for great weeknight cookbooks, you’re in luck—there are several new ones coming out this fall that promise to become indispensable in the kitchen. In fact, there are dozens of new cookbooks coming out in the next few months that we can’t wait to read—but to make it easier to find your favorites, we corralled them into several categories, including the weeknight-worthy picks below that we expect to be relying on for dinner inspiration.

They’re listed in order of release date so you can plan accordingly—and have time in advance to make some room on your shelves.

“Canal House: Cook Something (Recipes to Rely On)” by Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton, $34.38 on Amazon

Canal House cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: September 10, 2019

Canal House is many things, including a culinary/cookbook studio with several beloved titles already in heavy rotation, and the women behind Canal House were once at Saveur, so rest assured, they know delicious recipes inside and out. As home cooks, they also know you don’t want a super complicated set of instructions most nights—you just want a good dinner without too much fuss. This new cookbook will get anyone there, from beginning cooks to jaded vets in need of a little inspiration. It includes 300 basic-but-brilliant recipes that cover every course, including snacks and sweets, so you can find just what you’re looking for, whether you’re up for oven-braised chicken with gnocchi or just want an excellent way to doctor up a can of tuna.Buy Now

“Lasagna: A Baked Pasta Cookbook” by Anna Hezel, $12.15 on Amazon

Lasagna cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: September 10, 2019

No one is ever disappointed to see a pan of lasagna on the table, and it’s one of our favorite comforting, crowd-pleasing meals for fall and winter in particular (ditto other lasagna-adjacent baked pastas that come together in a casserole dish). Lucky thing, then, that this all-lasagna and baked pasta cookbook is coming out just in time for cooler weather. We’re definitely intrigued by the promise of slow cooker spinach lasagna and a brunch-ready carbonara lasagna with gloriously runny eggs spilling forth golden goodness. And yes, there is a dessert lasagna recipe full of Nutella—as well as recipes for some other things to eat both with and post-lasagna.Buy Now

“Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat” by Amy Chaplin, $28 on Amazon

Whole Food healthy cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: September 17, 2019

We all know how best intentions often get waylaid by exhausting workdays, random chores, and, well, life in general, but this cookbook aims to make it easy to eat healthy, satisfying meals every day of the week. The recipes are vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free, free of refined sugar, and delicious, but the real beauty of the book is the way it offers you master recipes built on whole foods (that is, unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients) that can then be tweaked depending on the season, the occasion, and what you’re most in the mood for. Plus, the majority of them last for a week, meaning you can meal prep ahead of time, then mix and match elements for different dinners (and lunches too).Buy Now

“How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 20th Anniversary Edition)” by Mark Bittman, $37 on Amazon

How to Cook Everything 2019 edition

Amazon

Publish Date: October 1, 2019

Mark Bittman’s modern classic is getting a makeover for its 20th birthday (and let’s be honest, two decades is not exactly young in cookbook years). It’s always been an incredibly reliable resource and this update will retain many old favorites from previous editions (some reimagined with new flavors and methods because life is all about learning as you go)—but it will also add hundreds of brand new recipes, and have color photos for the first time. Bittman’s wisdom and minimalist style are still fully present, and in addition to brushing up on basic techniques, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to start riffing on whatever it is you’re making.Buy Now

“From the Oven to the Table” by Diana Henry, $20.99 on Amazon

Diana Henry oven to table cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: October 1, 2019

Diana Henry is British food writing royalty and her cookbooks never disappoint—when it comes to the recipes or to the writing itself. A pleasure to read and a pleasure to use, this new title promises simple dishes that look after themselves, meaning one-pan and one-pot meals where all the ingredients roast or simmer away together while you tend to other things until it’s time to eat. In addition to easy dinner ideas for weeknights (like Baked Sausages, Apples, and Blackberries with Mustard and Maple Syrup, and Salmon Fillets with Miso, Shiitakes, and Bok Choy), there are also similarly casual feasts for friends and family. Chapters are divided by ingredients and occasions (one devoted entirely to chicken thighs, others to seasonal vegetables, one for grains, one for weekends and holidays), so plan on breaking this out often.Buy Now

“Dynamite Chicken: 60 Never-Boring Recipes for Your Favorite Bird” by Tyler Kord, $22.99 on Amazon

Food52 chicken cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: October 8, 2019

Food52 is on a roll with their cookbooks, which span subjects from mighty salads to genius desserts. This latest one is devoted to chicken, that stalwart weekday dinner ingredient that can—if not treated well—be boring (at best) and downright inedible at worst. These recipes from chef Tyler Kord promise perfect chicken in over 60 forms, like Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup and Spicy Parmesan Chicken Potpie. There are tutorials on basic poultry techniques like spatchcocking (the best way to roast a bird) and making stock too, plus a Weeknight Chicken Dinner Matrix for when you just can’t decide what to make.Buy Now

“Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook” by Christopher Kimball, $35 on Amazon

Milk Street New Rules cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: October 15, 2019

After breaking up with America’s Test Kitchen, Christopher Kimball started Milk Street, which bears the motto: Change the way you cook. Through their blog, TV show, podcasts, and cookbooks, they’ve done a lot to inspire delicious meals that are both low-key and globally inflected; “Milk Street Tuesday Nights” won a 2019 James Beard Award and is already one of our weeknight favorites. So we’re really looking forward to “Milk Street: The New Rules” (not to mention the other new Milk Street cookbook coming out on October 1 that collects every single dish from the show). All 200 recipes in “The New Rules” (like Curry-Coconut Pot Roast and Soft-Cooked Eggs with Coconut, Tomatoes, and Spinach) not only stand alone, but serve to illustrate one of 75 smart cooking rules and hacks that you’ll be able to apply when you want to improvise in the kitchen. In the manner of all the best cookbooks, the idea is not just to tell you what to cook, but teach you how to make meals your own.Buy Now

“The Dude Diet Dinnertime: 125 Clean(ish) Recipes for Weeknight Winners and Fancypants Dinners” by Serena Wolf, $26.99 on Amazon

Dude Diet Dinners cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

If you’re not familiar with “The Dude Diet,” the basic idea is turning hearty, usually pretty unhealthy grub like you might find at a sports bar into less diet-damaging iterations that you’ll still want to inhale—and making it all easy to turn out at home. This follow-up focuses on (mostly) cleaned-up dude-worthy dinners to feed family and friends, both on weeknights and on special occasions. These recipes promise you delicious, filling, and nutritious meals (think Chicken Parm Quinoa Bake, Chicago Dog Baked Potatoes, and The Great Salad Pizza), often in 30 minutes.Buy Now

“Half Baked Harvest: Super Simple” by Tieghan Gerard, $20.99 on Amazon

Half Baked Harvest cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

If you follow Half Baked Harvest, you know this book will be full of stunning food photography and recipes that all have a little extra something-something. The emphasis here is on easy meals that you can either make ahead or just make quickly, which obviously makes them even more appealing. Good luck choosing which thing to recreate first (Spinach and Three Cheese Stuffed Shells, Falafel Lunch Bowls, Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondie Brownie Bars are but a few of the intriguing options).Buy Now

“Weeknight Baking: Recipes to Fit Your Schedule” by Michelle Lopez, $35 on Amazon

Weeknight Baking cookbook fall 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: October 29, 2019

Weeknight dinner doesn’t have to stand alone, and dessert doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions. This weeknight baking book from another delightful blogger (Michelle Lopez of Hummingbird High), will show you how to pull off cookies, pies, cakes, and other sweet treats without spending hours in the kitchen. Some are simply quick to come together (like the Better-Than-Supernatural Fudge Brownies), and some are easy to break into shorter tasks over a few nights (like the Black-and-White Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies), but they all use common ingredients or give you substitution options that you likely already have on hand. And there are vegan recipes too, like the Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie.Buy Now

“Lateral Cooking: One Dish Leads to Another” by Niki Segnit, $26.43 on Amazon

Lateral Cooking cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

Niki Segnit’s first book, “The Flavor Thesaurus,” is a great help when it comes to understanding the building blocks of taste—both what things like “grassy” or “floral” really mean, and how all those different kinds of flavors work together—but it’s also an absorbing read. “Lateral Cooking” is the same way, both a fascinating book to curl up with and a practical manual, with a focus on teaching rules, formulas, methods, and techniques, plus how to tweak them to achieve different results. Dishes morph into each other so you learn not only the recipe itself but how to transform it into a related thing (flatbread becomes crackers, soda bread, or scones, for instance). You’ll find soups, stews, sauces, and more—but you’ll also build a solid culinary foundation so you can do your own thing with confidence.Buy Now

“All About Dinner: Expert Advice for Everyday Meals” by Molly Stevens, $40 on Amazon

Molly Stevens Dinner cookbook 2019

Amazon

Publish Date: November 5, 2019

Molly Stevens has made a career out of teaching people how to cook (and has published several previous cookbooks, including “All About Braising” and “All About Roasting”), but this book is all about what she cooks for herself and her family. Each recipe is easy and delicious (look for Butter-Poached Shrimp with Tomatoes and Garlic, Chipotle Pork Tacos, a Triple-Ginger Apple Crisp, and pastas, stews, and salads)—but they will also improve your general cooking skills and make you more outgoing and comfortable in the kitchen. After all, Stevens is a teacher.Buy Now

“The Joy of Cooking: 2019 Edition” by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, John Becker, and Megan Scott, $28 on Amazon

Joy of Cooking 2019 cookbook

Amazon

Publish Date: November 12, 2019

Generations of cooks have relied on “The Joy of Cooking” and now it’s getting a revamp that’s been 10 years in the making (seriously, that’s how long John Becker and Megan Scott have spent testing and tweaking recipes, researching, and developing new ones). This 2019 edition promises to improve thousands of classic recipes while also reflecting a more modern array of ingredients (from amaranth to za’atar) and now-common techniques including sous vide and pressure cooking. New recipe offerings include Malaysian Beef Rendang, Smoked Pork Shoulder, and Seeded Olive Oil Granola. Plus, there are lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes (like Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu and Roasted Mushroom Burgers) and gluten-free versions of pizza dough and yeast breads—all perfected before they get to you, of course—so a whole new generation can make this their cooking, baking, and all-around kitchen bible to refer back to time and again.Buy Now

Check out our full list of the best cookbooks for fall 2019.

Which one are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!