Our Very Best Winter Squash Recipes, Starring Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, and More

They’re all cozy, comforting, and just right for dinner on a chilly evening.

<p>Johnny Fogg</p>

Johnny Fogg

Whether your favorite is acorn or butternut, delicata or kabocha, we can all agree that winter squash is the perfect cold-weather ingredient. Our stellar selection of winter squash recipes will help you enjoy them all season long. These versatile vegetables (technically a fruit) take center stage in soups, salads, sides, pasta, stuffings, casseroles, and even desserts. Some of our recipes are for a specific winter squash, while others can be made with whichever squash you have on hand.

Related: 18 Acorn Squash Recipes for Fall Dinners and Holiday Feasts

Butternut Squash Soup With Coconut Milk and Ginger

Bryan Gardner
Bryan Gardner

Vegan soup for the win! This creamy-tasting but dairy-free dish starts with roasted butternut squash and adds fresh ginger for a little heat and a swirl of coconut milk for creaminess. Garnish with toasted squash seeds for crunch.

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Baked Acorn Squash With Brown Sugar

<p>Grant Webster</p>

Grant Webster

Easy, healthy, and delicious, there's a lot to like about this simple side dish. Here, the squash bakes until soft and caramelized (you need to flip it once and add the sugar), leaving you time to focus on the rest of dinner. 

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Acorn Squash With Mixed-Grain Stuffing

<p>Louise Hagger</p>

Louise Hagger

For a vegan entree or a hearty side for Thanksgiving or any night of the week, serve these acorn squash halves. They're stuffed with a delicious mix of wheatberries and millet plus mushrooms, spices, and golden raisins, with a bright pomegranate relish served on the side.

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Roasted Sausages With Cabbage and Squash

Justin Walker
Justin Walker

You've probably heard of bangers and mash, but have you tried bangers and squash? Simply arrange quick-cooking sausages with kabocha squash and cabbage on a sheet pan, then roast and toss with a quick vinaigrette.

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Brown-Sugar Butternut-Squash Pie

Will Anderson
Will Anderson

Roasted squash replaces the usual pumpkin in this seasonal custard pie, and a fishtail-braided crust lines the gorgeous outer edge. The cutouts on top are baked separately and scattered across the pie after baking. It takes a bit more time to put together, but it's sure to be the most stunning—and memorable—dessert on any autumn table.

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Macaroni and Cheese With Butternut Squash

Sang An
Sang An

Ricotta and pureed Butternut squash add extra creaminess to this classic, comforting dish with a twist. We guarantee it'll be a hit with grown-ups and children!

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Coconut, Fish, and Pumpkin Stew

Lennart Weibull
Lennart Weibull

Calabaza squash is such a staple of Caribbean cooking that it's also known as West Indian pumpkin. We love how it lends a deeply rich, creamy character to this warming, nicely spiced fish stew.

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Spaghetti Squash With Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti squash lives up to its name in this speedy dinner recipe. It reduces the carbs and pairs wonderfully with ground turkey meatballs for a comforting but healthy meal.

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Roasted Squash and Parsnip Soup

<p>Mikkel Vang</p>

Mikkel Vang

Honeynut is a relatively recent cultivar in the winter squash family, bred precisely for its concentration of flavor. It looks like a diminutive butternut. Note that the larger squash will work well as a substitute if you can't find honeynut for this soup, which has a complex flavor and crisp, crunchy garnishes at the finish.

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Orecchiette With Butternut Squash and Sage

Deliciously different, this easy weeknight pasta comes together in 40 minutes and is the perfect balance of cubes of sweet butternut squash, creamy ricotta, and fragrant fresh sage. Poppyseeds make a crunchy garnish.

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Chopped Winter Salad

Kate Mathis
Kate Mathis

Make the most of an abundance of autumn produce with a beautifully composed chopped salad. This one features roasted squash and mushrooms atop a bed of wintry bitter greens. It serves eight as a side dish or four for dinner. Leave off the feta to make it vegan-friendly.

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Honeynut Squash, Leek, and Brie Gratin

Johnny Fogg
Johnny Fogg

Sliced winter squash, leeks, broken lasagna noodles, chopped brie, and a touch of cream add up to a rich, creamy, over-the-top comfort food casserole. Add a green salad, and dinner is done.

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Roasted Squash With Cherry Tomatoes and Eggs

Bryan Gardner
Bryan Gardner

To make this playful twist on hearty breakfast hash, split winter squashes (acorn or butternut) right down the middle and scoop out the seeds to make edible "bowls" for tomatoes and eggs.

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Sourdough Stuffing With Apples, Acorn Squash, and Hazelnuts

Paola + Murray
Paola + Murray

In this mash-up (pun intended) of beloved Thanksgiving sides, we combined the best of turkey dressing/stuffings (namely, toasted cubes of crusty bread) with a few other favorite Turkey Day ingredients, including acorn squash, apples, celery, and roasted nuts.

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Simple Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Standard
Standard

Spaghetti squash is a culinary chameleon. Though it looks a lot like other squash when it's raw, it takes on a new character once cooked. Roasted whole and then split down the middle, the flesh is easily shredded into long strands. Seasoned with little more than salt, pepper, and either butter or oil, it makes a tasty side, but what really makes this a vegetable worth getting to know is its versatility. Try it in any number of other dishes.

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Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna

Layers of sage-flecked squash and rich, creamy ricotta serve as both filling and sauce would make a showstopper of a main course at a meatless Thanksgiving feast.

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Kabocha Squash Soup

Martyna Szczesna
Martyna Szczesna

Because winter squash famously takes well to flavor of all kinds, you can prepare it with seasonings that are as sweet and mild or hot and spicy as you like. Here, kabocha gets a nice kick from toasted dried chiles and ground spices (cinnamon and cumin). A sour cream garnish helps balance some of the heat; add just a drizzle or a few big dollops, depending on your preference.

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Roasted Acorn Squash With Pomegranate Glaze

Victoria Pearson
Victoria Pearson

Pomegranate seeds and glaze add bright color and flavor to the acorn squash in this cheery side dish.

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Read the original article on Martha Stewart.