Recipes with Winter Squash
Table of Contents
Are you looking for a few delicious ideas for winter squash recipes? It’s fall, and that means local farmers and grocery stores are rolling out a lot of unfamiliar squash that no one knows what to do with. Many of us don’t even know what most of them are called. It’s even hard to know which ones to cook and which ones are for pure decoration!
I did not grow up eating winter squash; the closest thing we got to it was frying a little zucchini or yellow squash in the summer. The only other thing remotely familiar to fall squash was eating pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. My mom did make it, but she used canned pumpkin.
The pumpkins we carved were the closest I ever got to winter squash as a kid. I probably did not meet one until I was in a college foods class at the University of Missouri in Columbia. At that time, I learned that they were rich in beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, and lots of fiber. When we tried them in class, they were pretty darn good!
After my husband and I got married, we looked around for some recipes for winter squash and decided to try some acorn squash. We stuffed them with breadcrumbs and chopped vegetables, and we enjoyed eating them! It was about 10 or 15 years before we tried butternut squash, and most of the ways I found to use it were in winter squash soup recipes.
Even though the winter squash soup recipe was delicious, my husband got tired of the sweet curry winter squash bisque, so we came up with a more savory one.
We enjoyed it during the fall/winter season, but we really could only eat it about once a month until we got bored. With all that squash lying around all winter, I wanted to find other things to make with it, and I wanted to learn the names of some of the less familiar ones besides butternut and acorn squash.
So, I wanted to share some of the things I learned about them and a few delicious ways I put together to use them together. I hope you might try to include more of these beautiful, delicious vegetables in your diet!
All of us can increase the number of times we eat them this fall and winter, while they are plentiful, and find new ways to fix them besides that sweet-tasting winter squash bisque recipe. Not that there is anything wrong with it! So, join me on this squash journey…….
Delicious Ways to Make Winter Squash Dishes
You can easily prep and cook winter squash ahead of time, then toss it in some of your favorite recipes. Here are some ways to do it!
- Stuff it! However, go beyond the acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash, and things you aren’t as familiar with; learn their names, and eat them! There are a lot of great ones out there!
- Peel, chunk it, and roast it! (With a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.) Use it for taco or burrito filling, or pasta sauce with thyme, sage, and parmesan cheese. I love adding the chunks to a fall salad and also include them in a mix of fall vegetables to add to the top of a grain pilaf like quinoa or farro. It is so yummy! It is also wonderful for breakfast or a Buddha Bowl!
- Puree it! Use them in desserts in place of pumpkin or soups.
- Cook them whole, but poke some holes in them.
- Steam, simmer, or stew.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to Make Recipes with Winter Squash
Try these winter squash recipes:
Here are 10 delicious and easy recipes for winter squash that I hope you will love. And you can change up the type of winter squashes that you use depending on your preference.
1. Roasted Winter Squash Recipes
2. Winter Squash Pie Recipe
The blog post below features Delicata Squash & Apple Saute Over Millet, Winter Squash Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust, Butternut Squash & Poblano Pepper Tacos, and Mediterranean Stuffed Spaghetti Squash.
https://vineripenutrition.com/4-fabulous-fall-squash-recipes
3. Salads with Winter Squash
4. Winter Squash Soup Recipe
The blog post below features Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Pears & Goat Cheese and a Southwestern Pumpkin Soup.
5. Sauté Winter Squash
6. Add Winter Squash to Grain Dishes
Try this Kale and Butternut Squash Risotto recipe below to get your greens and winter squash.
https://vineripenutrition.com/seeing-green-and-eating-your-greens
The blog post below features Kale, Apple & Butternut Squash Saute and Butternut Squash Penne Pasta.
7. Stuffed Squash Recipes
This stuffed squash is almost everything that you need for your Thanksgiving Celebration!
https://vineripenutrition.com/7-survival-tips-for-a-healthier-thanksgiving
And this Mediterranean Stuffed Spaghetti Squash is amazing!
8. Add Squash to Your Breakfast
This delicious make-ahead brunch recipe, Butternut Squash, Poblano Pepper & Coconut Chilaquiles, below, features the best of winter squash!
A few years ago, in October, a non-profit called Slow Food Asheville hosted an event featuring a native winter squash; check it out below!
Slow Food Candy Roaster Rendezvous
What Are the Benefits of Eating Winter Squashes Seasonally
Fall and winter are the time for local. There are a lot of great benefits of eating seasonally; here are just a few reasons:
- Eating seasonally focuses more on what grows on the farms in your local community, so it supports local farmers.
- When we buy directly from local farmers, there may be cost savings over going to the store.
- Eating seasonally helps you get more variety because new foods are available every season!
- When foods are picked fresh, and we eat them soon after, they are tastier and may be more nutritious. Check out additional benefits of organic foods here.
Here is an app that will help you find local food where you are!
Here are some seasonal food posters for Western North Carolina. If you would like to download them for free, they are available here at the Vine Ripe Nutrition Shop.
Make These Winter Squash Recipes
I hope you enjoy these winter squash recipes and winter squash dishes. They may be one of the most versatile vegetables to cook, and there are so many ways to do it! I have found that if I bake or microwave it with the skin on, it will peel more easily.
As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love sharing the benefits of eating seasonally and recipes to help people stay healthier, so they can enjoy and explore foods they might not otherwise try. I am so glad that you stopped by to check out these recipes. I would love to know if you try them or some other ways to prepare them! You can find out more about me on here on my about page.!
Here Are a Few Seasonal Recipe Eat Healthy Ideas
Spring Recipes
Spring Vegetable Recipes (vineripenutrition.com)
You searched for strawberry fizz – Vine Ripe Nutrition
Dining at the Biltmore Estate (vineripenutrition.com)
Summer Recipes
You searched for tomato sandwiches – Vine Ripe Nutrition
canning salsa recipe (vineripenutrition.com)
The Amazing Health Benefits of Okra & More – Vine Ripe Nutrition
Cracker spread (vineripenutrition.com)
strawberry kale salad (vineripenutrition.com)
Kale white bean salad (vineripenutrition.com)
Grilled Smores with Chocolate (vineripenutrition.com)
Types of Garlic (vineripenutrition.com)
perfect picnic menu ideas (vineripenutrition.com)
Fall Recipes
roasted beet risotto (vineripenutrition.com)
Red radish (vineripenutrition.com)
Southwestern Potato Salad (vineripenutrition.com)
veg kofta (vineripenutrition.com)
Thai Broccoli Salad (vineripenutrition.com)
Pizza with arugula (vineripenutrition.com)
pear pancake (vineripenutrition.com)
Savory Apple Recipes (vineripenutrition.com)
Apple salsa (vineripenutrition.com)
Winter Recipes
Gluten free pumpkin donuts (vineripenutrition.com)
Vegan Sweet Potato Recipes (vineripenutrition.com)
local produce delivery (vineripenutrition.com)