What's Cooking: Pumpkin, Squash and Sweet Potatoes

Roll up your sleeves and dig into some of the best recipes of the season. Inspired by top-notch ingredients and practical techniques, we've put together menus and serving ideas for the food you want to cook right now.

Autumn is in the air. Pumpkin patches, trick-or-treaters and farmer's markets piled high with winter squash are some of the signs. On the dining table, soups, main courses, sides and desserts featuring pumpkin, squash and sweet potatoes capture the essence of the season. Here are some of our favorite dishes, from hearty to elegant with plenty in between.

Soups
Serve these as a first course for a special occasion or as a casual one-dish meal.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Ginger-Scented Apple-Squash Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean Soup

Mains
Build an all-out feast around any of these dishes.

Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash and Ricotta
Butternut Squash, Sage and Mushroom Casserole
Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew
Mexican Braised Pork with Pumpkin
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sides
Mouthwatering accompaniments that just might steal the show.

Barley with Butternut Squash, Apples and Onions
Butternut Squash Fries
Island-Style Pumpkin Rice
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin Gratin with Crispy Rosemary-Parmesan Topping
Roasted Acorn Squash with Orange-Ginger Dressing
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweets
End your meal with a homey or fancy pumpkin treat.

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bars
Individual Baked Pumpkin Custards
Pumpkin Oat Bread
Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust