8 best acorn squash recipes: cooking fall's versatile veggie

Stuffed acorn squash with apples and cranberries. (Elana's Pantry)

If you're preparing to cook acorn squash, your biggest dilemma may be which way to prepare it. Just as the colors on the outside vary --from green to golden yellow to white-- so do the ways you can cook this versatile winter squash.

Acorn squash calories are low, and so is the fat count, but most people don't even think of it as a diet dish. Maybe that's because it's such a tasty comfort food classic.

Whether you're looking for classic tried-and-true recipes or fresh, new ways of cooking acorn squash, one of these hand-selected dishes should fit the bill.

Low-Calorie Maple Baked Acorn Squash Recipe

This stripped-down recipe is ultra-basic, using just a dab of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup to let the taste of the squash come through, while keeping the calories and fat as low as possible. You'll find that just a hint of sweet taste is the perfect amount, and dieters can indulge in second helpings.

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

The aromatic stuffing in this recipe is packed full of goodies: lean ground beef, bulgur wheat, golden raisins, garlic, spices and more. This ethnic twist on ordinary baked acorn squash is a keeper. Be sure and bookmark the recipe for holiday cooking.

Aromatic Moroccan-style acorn squash. (The Bitten Word)

Stuffed Baked Acorn Squash Recipe

If the name sounds simple, it belies an earthy, nutty stuffed acorn squash recipe that uses healthy brown rice instead of white rice, olive oil, and roasted pecans along with other ingredients to make a hearty squash dish that deserves entree status. Save this recipe for a go-to vegetarian main dish on Thanksgiving.

Emeril Lagasse's Acorn Squash Soup Recipe

Usually we're used to Emeril Lagasse "kicking it up a notch," but this soup recipe is a surprise: a sophisticated, classic squash soup with a hint of apple and ginger. The result is a solid acorn squash soup that deserves to be kept in your recipe file as the definitive version.

Microwave, then top squash. (AP: Larry Crowe)

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

This Tex-Mex take on stuffed squash is a find. The zesty filling is just the thing to warm you up on a chilly night, with turkey sausage, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, and cumin and chili powder for spice. A dash of hot sauce takes it to the tasty limit.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Rice Pilaf Recipe

This vegan recipe is as tasty as it is colorful. A baked acorn squash is beautifully stuffed with a pilaf medley that's a veritable treasure chest of goodies: toasted almonds, two kinds of carrots, celery, green peas, and sage for starters.

Gluten-Free Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

The tangy sweet and savory combination of apples and squash is a popular one, and this recipe makes the most of it, adding cranberries too for a sensational side that's also gluten-free. If you're looking for a squash recipe that also has visual impact, this one's for you.

 How to Cook an Acorn Squash in the Microwave

Cooking an acorn squash in the microwave makes short work of the task, and you can then use your already-cooked squash for any recipe requiring cooked squash, like stuffed ravioli, fried squash patties, or a creamy risotto.

 If you're not inspired to cook acorn squash immediately, then check your pulse. No one alive would pass up these goodies.

Is that a butternut squash you just bought? Then try a deliciously earthy butternut squash stew with turkey sausage.

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