Squash, how I love thee.. Let me count the ways! Seriously, squash is one of my favorite things about fall. It comes in many shapes and sizes, has tons of nutritional benefits and can be baked lots of different ways.

I picked up some acorn squash and made this hodgepodge dish with kidney beans, diced tomatoes and zucchinni.

The one thing I dislike about squash is cutting and cleaning it. It is such a pain, but the end result makes it all worth it. I kept the flavors simple and just brushed the acorn squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. To roast the squash, I heated the oven to 400, lined a baking sheet with foil and placed the squash cut-side down on the sheet. It baked for about 45 minutes. While the squash was baking, the rest of the ingredients were simmering on the stove.

My abosolute favorite squash is butternut and combined with one of my favorite dishes, you have butternut risotto. Not the healthiest dish, but much better than some of the heavy cream, butter laden risotto recipes that are out there. Did you know you can make it in a pressure cooker and not stand at the stove for 40-plus minutes stirring?

Here’s a recipe similar to the one I used, but I subbed Sam Adams Octoberfest for the wine. Very fall, no? You’ll want to add the cubed and peeled squash when you add the onions.  I was a little concerned that it was going to fail since I never used a pressure cooker before, but my mom showed me how. Who knew it was good for something other than pot roast? My first risotto dish was a success and I’m sure I’ll be cooking up more risotto dishes in the future.

I’ve also been baking some fall desserts, those to come soon!