Yesterday I decided it was fall.

We’ve had some cool, rainy weather, the leaves are starting to change, warm jackets have appeared on my kids as they trudge to the bus stop. Yet for me, fall doesn’t officially arrive until thick, hearty soups and earthy squash dishes are on the table.

When I cut into that gorgeous butternut squash you see above, all sorts of recipes began surfacing…hmmm…will it be a simple side, or perhaps a soup? Roasted whole with a maple syrup glaze or maybe a sprinkling of curry?

There are so many squash recipes that it’s difficult to choose just one. I ultimately decided to make a simple butternut squash soup flavored with some ginger and jalapeno. Thick and hearty, a few slices of warm bread was all it needed. I’ll share that recipe with you very soon (promise!), but I wanted to share five other squash recipes I discovered during my quest for something unusual. Each one is very different from the other, and all are prepared in somewhat unique ways. I hope you enjoy them all!

• Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce
• Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad
• Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry
• Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Pears, Onions and Blue Cheese

Please come back and leave a comment with some feedback if you decide to make any of these delicious squash recipes, as I have yet to try them myself! They all look so delicious!

Happy Fall!