Falling leaves, cardigans, a crisp breeze, pumpkin spice lattes…these are just a few of the signs that autumn is officially here! With the changing of seasons comes, not only a break from the heat, but a substantial shift in the availability of certain fruit and veggies. We say bye-bye to berries, peaches, and melons, but hello to root vegetables, heartier greens, and gourds! While pumpkins and squash make for fantastic fall decor around your home, we love them even more as the stars of your breakfast, dinner, or dessert menu. Below, you’ll find a few of our favorites squash and pumpkin recipes that will have your kitchen smelling amazing all season long!
Maple Pecan Pumpkin Crumb Cake
Crumb cake? Coffee cake? Call it what you will, but either way you shake it, adding pumpkin to the mix is always correct! The buttery pumpkin cake base gets topped with a traditional brown sugar crumb layer and infused with cinnamon and chopped pecans. It’s finished off with a maple cream cheese drizzle and it makes for the perfect breakfast with a hot cup of coffee!
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Curried Carrot and Squash Soup with Cheddar, Apple, and Honey Tartines
This soup not only tastes divine, but it’s packed with body-nourishing antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and more than four times the daily requirement of vitamin A! The carrots and kabocha squash are sautéed until soft, then pureed with vegetable broth, curry seasoning, and fresh ginger for a creamy, yet light soup. And those tartines? Those may be our favorite part!
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Beef and Pumpkin Chili with Pumpkin Cornbread
Chili is one of those comfort dishes that is synonymous with cooler weather, so why not up the fall factor by adding pumpkin? We took our traditional beef and kidney bean recipe, then mixed in pureed pumpkin and let it simmer low and slow on the stove. Bake up a batch of pumpkin cornbread to serve on the side, which is perfection dunked into a hot bowl of chili!
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Squash and Goat Cheese Penne Pasta
Give that marinara sauce a rest from its weekly rotation, and instead, blanket your pasta in a tangy goat cheese and squash cream sauce! The squash adds just the right amount of sweetness to counter the tartness of the goat cheese, and when topped with freshly grated parmesan, chopped pecans, and frizzled onions, it creates the most magical restaurant-quality dish right in your own kitchen!
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Pumpkin Cheesecake
If pumpkin pie has reigned supreme as the king of your fall dessert repertoire, may we recommend giving this cheesecake a whirl? The crust is made from crushed gingersnap cookies instead of graham cracker crumbs, which highlights the pumpkin flavor and reminds us of our childhood! Pumpkin puree and fall spices (think cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves) are then incorporated into the New York-style batter and baked, creating a dense, creamy cheesecake that is poised to knock that pumpkin pie off of its throne for good!
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Photo Credit: Christina Carter
