Derek Jacobson

Derek Jacobson is the home cook behind Dinner Endeavor. He shares easy, dependable dinner recipes for busy weeknights: short ingredient lists, clear steps, and make-ahead tips that work in a normal home kitchen. Outside the kitchen he runs a small digital marketing business and has spent years working with food brands to help them share their recipes online.
Slow cooker of cheese tortellini with shredded chicken and spinach in creamy pumpkin Alfredo sauce, a wooden spoon lifting a scoop

Crockpot Pumpkin Alfredo Tortellini with Chicken

This crockpot pumpkin Alfredo tortellini is a creamy, dump-and-go fall dinner. Chicken cooks low and slow in a pumpkin Alfredo sauce, then cheese tortellini and spinach go in for the last half hour. It is cozy, cheesy and made almost entirely in the slow cooker.

Butternut squash ravioli in brown butter sauce with crispy sage, toasted walnuts, shaved Parmesan and arugula

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

This butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage turns a package of store-bought ravioli into a restaurant-style dinner in 20 minutes. Toasty walnuts, crispy sage, a touch of maple and a squeeze of lemon make a simple sauce that tastes special.

Bowl of rigatoni in creamy butternut squash sauce with Italian sausage, spinach, Parmesan and sage

Creamy Sausage and Butternut Squash Pasta

This creamy sausage and butternut squash pasta tastes like fall in a bowl. The squash simmers in broth until soft, then gets mashed right in the pan into a silky orange sauce with cream, Parmesan and sage. Browned Italian sausage and spinach make it a full meal.

Sheet pan of crispy roasted gnocchi with Italian sausage, apples, Brussels sprouts and red onion topped with Parmesan

Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Apples

This sheet-pan gnocchi with sausage and apples is a one-pan fall dinner with almost no cleanup. Shelf-stable gnocchi goes straight onto the pan with no boiling, then roasts with Italian sausage, apples, Brussels sprouts and red onion until everything is golden and crisp.

Homemade pumpkin gnocchi in brown butter with crispy sage leaves, toasted pecans and shaved Parmesan in a white bowl

Brown Butter Sage Pumpkin Gnocchi

This brown butter sage pumpkin gnocchi is soft, pillowy and easier than you think. The dough is just pumpkin, ricotta, Parmesan and flour, with no potatoes to boil or rice. Toss the gnocchi in nutty brown butter with crispy sage and toasted pecans for a cozy fall dinner.