Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash - total time 40 minutes

The fun thing about eating more seasonally (besides eating foods when they're in their absolute prime and tastiness) is that you have something to look forward to every season which keeps your meal plans fresh too.  Now that we're halfway into fall, I have a counter full of squash begging to be roasted!  There are so many to choose from, they come in all shapes and flavors.  You might already have a few butternut recipes, but here's a new acorn squash recipe to add to your fall meal planning arsenal.

This is the perfect comfort food when the temperatures start to dip.  Sausage has that smokey flavor that pairs just right with acorn squash.  The addition of sage just completes the fall flavors.  Baking the sausage in the squash is super cute presentation that is great for a dinner party or a fancy Thanksgiving.  It's also pretty easy!  :)

Zucchini Stuffed Shells - total time 45 minutes

If you have a vegetable garden, chance are you are swimming in zucchini right now!  Ours are coming in spurts... I don't notice any in the garden... and then all of a sudden there are a dozen... and half of them are giants!  Eep!  What to do... what to do?  

The great thing about zucchini (besides the fact one plant could feed a neighborhood) is that it doesn't have a distinct flavor, so it works well "hidden" in a ton of dishes.  

So of course I'm going to put zucchini in some stuffed shells.  I always feel just a little bit guilty eating stuffed shells with all of that cheese.  This recipe subs out half of that cheese for some shredded zucchini.  That's a great way to reduce the dairy and increase the vitamin A and C, potassium, and fiber.  Plus, it's a green veggie... extra healthy points!  And you really don't taste it... it's just like normal stuffed shells.  You have to try this, it is win-win!

Butternut Mac and Cheese - total time 1 hour

It is getting cold outside... bring on the comfort foods!  

It took me several tries before I got homemade mac and cheese right.  Every time I would try making the cheese sauce separately in a sauce pan and every time it would kind of curdle.  Really gross and a big waste of yummy cheeses.  Now I realize it was because everything was still right-out-of-the-fridge cold and that kind of quick temperature change does bad things to dairy.

I promised myself I would give it one more go, but I had to use a different method.  Instead of making the sauce separate... I let all of the ingredients warm to room temperature in the casserole dish, then add the steaming hot pasta and mix it together.  The cheese, cream, onions, etc combine nicely... and whatever doesn't melt will melt in the oven.  Not only does this method work, but it keeps a pot clean... and a cheese pot is one of the hardest to clean... so this is definitely a win-win.

Now that we have a base recipe, I can create variations that bring in some vegetables so the dish isn't just a pure carb fest!  Enter butternut squash!  A versatile vegetable loaded with beta carotene, potassium, and anti-oxidants.  It lends a kind of buttery texture while adding a touch of sweetness.  This mac and cheese is definitely in our fall/winter recipe rotation... especially when it is extra cold outside!

Butternut Leek Soup - total time 1 hour

It is winter squash season again and we get bombarded with pumpkin flavored advertising.  Although the pumpkin is one of the unofficial mascots of Halloween, I never really understood the pumpkin craze during this time of year.  With so many winter squash options, why is it pumpkin that gets the lattes, rolls, cupcakes, and so much more.  Personally, I prefer butternut squash and the smell of it roasting in my oven filling my house with yummy smells.

Since it is always cold in Ohio when winter squash season rolls around, I end up using them in soups and pastas almost exclusively.  This recipe is no different.  After a long day outside tearing down my summer garden in the cold winds, what better way to warm up than a bowl full of creamy butternut soup?!

This soup is a little on the sweet side because of the butternut and cream.  To balance that out is some crispy sage and paprika that brings a little "Thanksgiving-y" flavor and the truffle oil adds even more richness to the soup.  The soup is bold enough to stand alone as a meal, but even better paired with your favorite grilled cheese.

Winter Squash Lasagna - total time 2 hours

I haven't always been a winter squash fan.  In fact, it was only a few years ago that I first tried summer squash (zucchini)... and I finally tried butternut squash last year.  Since I am trying to eat more seasonally (and I don't want to starve while trying to do so) I am trying all kinds of squash this year.  The one I used in this lasagna is a golden hubbard squash and I got it at Kroger of all places, so it should be pretty easy to find.  It is supposed to taste similar to butternut.  I liked it!  Trying new thing, especially fruits and vegetables, is always good... then you know what you like (expanding your veggie and nutrient palette) and find out what you don't like which is just as important.

1 winter squash (butternut, acorn, hubbard)

8 lasagna noodles

8 oz. ricotta cheese

.5 cup fresh mozzarella

.25 cup parm cheese

sage leaves

salt & pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut squash in half and bake for 50 minutes.  

2.  Scoop out squash into blender with bay leaves, salt, and pepper.  Blend into a puree.  Mix in half of the ricotta.  

3.  Spray bottom of casserole dish with olive oil.  Boil lasagna noodles for one minute then add two noodles to the casserole dish.  Spread a layer of the squash mixture over the noodles.  Add another two noodles.  Spread the remaining ricotta and then another two noodles.  Scoop out the remaining squash mixture and then the final layer of noodles.  The final layer is the fresh mozzarella and parm cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds - total time 35 minutes

Happy Halloween!  All those pumpkins you used as decorations or for carving can be turned into a tasty and healthy snack.  Pumpkin seeds are full of protein, vitamin B & E, and fiber... and they are super easy to make!

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop out the insides of the pumpkin into a colander.  Wash all of the pumpkin off the seeds.  Boil seeds for ten minutes, then pat dry with towel.

2.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix in spices (chili powder and paprika), salt, and pepper.  Spread dried pumpkin seeds on baking tray and drizzle butter mixture over top.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Mini Pumpkin Pies - total time 50 minutes

I love the idea of bite-sized desserts.  You don't have to worry about cutting servings and you can eat one at a time until you've had enough.  Since pumpkin pie is a favorite for this time of year (and we had a pumpkin carving contest at work), but you could make little apple pies too.  They are so cute, people will gobble them up!

1 large can of pumpkin puree

1 can condensed milk

12 oz cream cheese

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

.5 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 pre-made pie crusts (to make things easier)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Soften cream cheese in microwave.  Mix pumpkin, cream cheese, condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.

2.  Cut out small circles of pie dough using a cookie cutter or top of a cup.  Spray oil over mini muffin cups and carefully create mini pie crust with the pie circles.  You will likely have to make a couple small folds on the edge.

3.  Pour pumpkin pie mixture into each crust.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top.

Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs - total time 1 hour

It is squash season!  Put a twist on the classic spaghetti and meatballs by using spaghetti squash instead of noodles.  It is so simple, I wish I would have tried this earlier!

1 spaghetti squash

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

.25 cup parm, grated

herbs, salt & pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut squash in half and bake for 45 minutes.

2.  Combine meat, egg, half of the breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and spices and mix together.  Form balls slightly bigger than ping pong balls.  Roll meatballs in remaining bread crumbs.

3.  Sear meatballs in a hot pan.  Turn every few minutes.  After all sides are seared, put pan in oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking meatballs all the way through.

4.  Run a fork through the cooked squash to make 'spaghetti' and scoop onto plate.  Add your meatballs and some sauce and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Corn Chowder - total time 1 hour

We don't normally eat sweet/savory meals... I used to, but my husband doesn't like sweet meals (just lots of sweet cookies), and my tastebuds have adapted.  Sweet potatoes are great for you, but I can't get over the thought of anything potatoe-y being sweet.  So the first time I tried cooking butternut squash, I didn't like it.  Too sweet!  But Martha Stewart keeps putting squash recipes on Pinterest so I thought I would try this more savory than sweet interpretation of her recipe.

1 butternut squash, cubbed

1 large onion, chopped

2 ears of corn

2 cups vegetable stock

.5 cup cream

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp smoked paprika

a pinch of red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

1.  Brown butter in a large pot.  Add onions and squash, cook on medium-high heat for eight minutes.  Add vegetable stock, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until squash is tender.

2.  Carefully pour stock/onion/squash mixture into blender and pulse until smooth.  Pour back into pot, add corn and cream and simmer for five additional minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of paprika.