Our Favorite Winter Squash Recipes
It's true that the winter squash has a sort of Quasimodo quality: often knobby, misshapen, mottled, and leather-skinned. Its charm is the beauty of dignified, old-looking things. Nor does the flesh inside seem too promising in its raw state. But therein lies the miracle of cooking: As it roasts, the meat of the squash caramelizes beautifully around the edges and turns buttery and sweet in the center, while holding its gorgeous autumn hue. It's delicious served chunky, sprinkled with coarse salt, or whipped with a touch of butter or cream for a rich, smooth side. Dessert, even, can be helped by squash: The flesh, pureed, adds natural sweetness to baked goods like our cinnamon rolls. And know that these dependable vegetables deliver a good dose of potassium, beta-carotene, and other phytonutrients and antioxidants—the stuff healthy cells dream of.
Acorn Squash Egg-in-the-Hole
Remember that childhood breakfast favorite, a piece of toast with an egg cooked into its cutout center? Well, try this stunning grown-up twist that replaces the bread with baked slices of acorn squash. Mornings are looking sunny-side up!
Roasted Red Onions and Delicata Squash
Thin-skinned delicata squash has an edible peel, helping this side come together quickly.
Pumpkin Soup with Almonds and Sage
This fast recipe delivers slow-cooked flavor. Pumpkin is one of the few vegetables whose canned version is quite good, saving you lots of time and effort. Just be sure you don't accidentally grab pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.
Quinoa-Stuffed Squash
Want to make something a little special for dinner? Try these gorgeous stuffed squashes: They’re hearty and satisfying, and just beautiful on the plate. The recipe calls for golden nugget squash, but that variety can be hard to find year-round; acorn squash makes a good substitute. For a dinner party, double the recipe, and get a head start: The day before, cook the squash, and fill with stuffing. Bring to room temperature the next day, and bake as directed. You may find these filling enough to be your entire dinner, but they’re also great with a spinach salad tossed with apple or pear slices.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Spinach
Swirl up a forkful of this rich, creamy play on lasagna. Packed with the same great flavors of the traditional dish, our veggie-packed version packs in nutrition while slashing carbs.
Farro Stuffing with Butternut Squash, Red Onion, and Almonds
In this nontraditional stuffing, earthy flavors and starchy comfort come from whole-grain farro, not bread. You can assemble up to 2 days ahead. Take out of the fridge, let stand at room temperature 45 minutes, then bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Roasted Kabocha and Kale Salad
Kobocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is the sweeter cousin of the pumpkin. The vivid orange flesh of this winter squash is tender and rich, with a flavor reminiscent of a sweet potato. While the shell is very hard when raw, it becomes very tender when cooked, making peeling optional. It's wonderful here, dressed with olive oil, coriander seeds, pepper, and salt.
Butternut Squash Queso Fundido
Butternut squash adds distinct flavor (and color) to this satisfyingly cheesy dip. To make it vegetarian, sub vegetable stock for the chicken stock. If you prefer, you can roast a halved, seeded butternut squash at 350° for 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop 10 ounces of flesh, and use in place of the puree.
Cheesy Sorghum and Shaved Squash Pilaf
Long, slender ribbons of butternut squash make for a beautiful and unusual presentation; just be gentle when stirring so you don't break all those gorgeous pieces. Try to grab a squash with a long neck—that straight surface works best for ribboning. If you can't find sorghum, you can use farro.
Butternut Squash Crown Roast
Prepare to watch jaws drop when you bring this dish to the table. Rather than serving a traditional main entrée, serve your guests a crown roast of butternut squash. Whether you save it for a dinner party, the holidays, or another special occasion, this dish is guaranteed to impress.
Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Tart with Olive Oil Crust
Elevate greens and squash to holiday status with a whole-grain olive oil crust. To speed up prep time, roast the squash and par-bake the crust simultaneously.
Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup
This flavorful soup is a vibrant hue with flavor to match. Top with a dollop of the yogurt-honey mixture for a showstopping bowlful.
Roasted Acorn Squash
Sautéed in a bit of butter and then roasted with a sprinkling of salt, Roasted Acorn Squash is your answer to a quick, tasty side dish.
Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze
Delicata squash is a great choice for dessert recipes. It is characterized by yellow flesh that tastes similar to sweet potatoes. Roasting it in this recipe intensifies the sweet flavor. If you can't find delicata, substitute butternut.
Oven Pork Chop Pan Roast
Delicata squash, as the name implies, has skin so tender you don't have to peel it and makes this dish just that much faster to prep. You can substitute butternut or acorn squash—just peel it (or buy butternut prechopped).
Sausage and Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Take winter squash to the next level with this to-die-for dinner.
Winter Squash Stew with Cilantro-Avocado Salsa
Winter greens would also make a lovely addition to this hearty stew; simply toss a few handfuls in when the squash is almost tender, and stir until greens begin to wilt.
Beef and Butternut Chili
There is nothing like a rustic chili to warm you from the inside out. This recipe will definitely do the trick.
Acorn Squash with Pomegranate and Kale Tabbouleh
This is a fun dish to "carve" at the table, as each person gets one wedge to enjoy as a side dish. For an entrée take, give each person half a squash.
Kabocha Squash Puree
If you can't find kabocha, use two medium delicata or acorn squashes. Serve this rich, delicious puree alongside roast pork tenderloin or chicken.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spinach Pesto
This is the easy way to use supermarket wonton wrappers for a weeknight ravioli treat. You can use this technique to make this deliciously sweet butternut squash ravioli topped with a fresh, herby pesto.
Cheese and Squash Soufflés
The skin of the sweet dumpling squash is edible when cooked, so you don't have to peel these gems: Simply chop, roast, puree, and proceed with the recipe. If you can't find it, substitute peeled butternut. If you prefer, serve this soufflé as a side to accompany roast chicken, pork, or beef. Simply serve eight smaller portions.
Bison Chili with Chickpeas and Acorn Squash
This chili is a new take on the classic cold-weather, one-pot meal. It's amped up with rich ground bison, that takes the place of ground beef, and chunks of sweet acorn squash.
Mushroom and Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
While old-school stovetop-stirred risotto is undeniably delicious, the pressure cooker also delivers astonishingly good results: perfectly creamy, al dente risotto without constant stirring.
Fast Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash
Chili doesn't get much faster; Just 30 minutes delivers long-simmered satisfaction Along with mashed beans, butternut squash lends color and starch to thicken. Rotisserie chicken also helps make this hearty chili superspeedy without sacrificing rich, deep, and complex flavor.
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sugared Walnuts
Brown sugar ups the autumnal flavor in this dish. Brightly colored roasted butternut squash stand out against the risotto like a sinfully delicious invitation to enjoy. Just a bit of slightly salty pancetta lends just the note to finish off the flavor medley.
Butternut Squash, Kale, and Black Bean Quesadillas
Mashing half of the beans provides creamy texture and helps to seal the quesadillas.
Warm-Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Earthy, fragrant spices like allspice, cloves, and cinnamon make wonderful accents for the natural sweetness of butternut squash. Make sure to simmer the squash until very tender—the softer it gets, the silkier the puree.
Squash-Apple Turnovers
Jonagold apples bring some tartness to the lightly sweet squash-based filling. You can also use other good baking apples like Honeycrisp or Rome. Serve as a side dish or appetizer.
Spaghetti Squash with Tomato-Basil Sauce
Parents may need to help out a bit by cutting the hard squash in half, but kids can have fun scraping up strands of spaghetti-like pulp. You can serve this as a side dish, or add sausage or ground beef to the sauce to turn it into an entrée.
Butternut Squash Pizza with White Sauce, Spinach, and Goat Cheese
This pizza pie is anything but a snooze. Sweet butternut squash and leafy greens round out this fall-inspired pizza that the whole family can get behind. Save time and energy by buying the pre-cubed butternut squash and pre-made pizza crust, and you'll be surprised at just how quickly this tasty dinner will come together. Try swapping out the goat cheese for feta or Gorgonzola to switch up the flavor profile.
Grilled Trout with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Celery Leaf Pesto
Say hello to your new favorite seafood dinner! This sweet and nutty autumnal recipe will make everyone at the table swoon.
Lamb and Butternut Squash Stew
This delicious winter stew only takes 35 minutes to come together. Refrigerate the sautéed lamb mixture up to 3 days ahead, and then bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. To maximize flavor, serve with Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts.
Spaghetti Squash Fritters with Sriracha Mayonnaise
Pair a basic side salad with these tasty squash fritters for a simple, flavorful meal.
Pork Cutlets with Butternut Squash, Apple, and Cranberry Sauté
Steaming squash tenderizes it before you pan-sear it to a caramelized finish.
Roasted Delicata with Cranberries and Pumpkinseeds
This impressive yet simple side dish is great for company. And remember, you can eat the skin.
Winter Squash and Tofu Panang Curry
Nutty whole grains make a perfect bed for a bowl of saucy winter veggies. If you have trouble finding kabocha squash, an acorn or butternut variety is an easy, just-as-delicious substitute.
Sugar Pumpkin Custards with Graham Crumble
These sweet custards are the perfect ending for an autumn dinner party.
Butternut Squash and Leek Gratins
A crunchy browned cheese topping conceals a hearty, sweet squash-and-onion combination here. Serving individual gratins in single-serving ramekins makes for a more impressive presentation than one large casserole, and the individual servings cook faster as well.
Butternut Squash and Parmesan Bread Pudding
A side of sautéed kale or mustard greens would provide a nice counterpoint to the sweet butternut squash in this savory vegetarian entrée.
