Squash

Cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and cloves give this crème brûlée a spicy kick.

This dish has an ideal combination of flavors and textures: soft and crunchy; sweet and nutty.

Purchased vanilla ice cream, pumpkin, and four different spices make up the delicious pie filling.

Forget marshmallows with the yams this year. Instead, use them to make the topping for this cheesecake. Because the cheesecake needs to chill overnight, be sure to begin one day ahead.

The richness of the sausage is a great match for bright, fresh fennel and sweet squash.

Thanksgiving goes Provençal with this elegant dish.

In this Spanish-style frittata, the potatoes and zucchini are characteristically creamy and filling. The dish is also a host's friend, since it tastes just right at room temperature.

David Burke, of David Burke at Bloomingdale’s in New York City, subs flavor for fat in every melty mouthful.

We love the many textures and flavors of this spicy coconut curry with butternut squash, spinach, and cashews. Bottled red curry paste keeps it supermarket-friendly.

For a substantial vegetarian spin on köfte(a kind of Middle Eastern meatball), we beefed up grated zucchini with fresh herbs and mashed chickpeas. The accompanying pilaf, which uses both beets and their greens, is brilliantly colored and gets a joyous crunch from slivered almonds.

Look for thin zucchini and yellow squash. The squash will have fewer seeds.

This retro favorite was popularized by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and Gold Medal Flour in the 1920s. Here, the classic goes autumnal with the addition of pumpkin, molasses, and a mix of warming spices.

A cold-weather favorite, this all-beef, no-bean chili gets added appeal from a seasonal ingredient: butternut squash. For best results, make the chili at least one day ahead so that the flavors have time to meld.

These savory tartlets are similar to quiches.

Sweet caramelized butternut squash plays well with peppery arugula in this hearty dinner salad.

This smooth puréed soup manages the near—impossible feat of being velvety and creamy without any cream. Ribbons of zucchini add a final soupçon of elegance.

This entire dish (salad and dressing) can be made and assembled up to eight hours ahead. The trick? A layer of zucchini slices keeps the rest of the ingredients separated from the dressing until you're ready to toss and serve.