Winter squash may be the most versatile “superfood.” Often included in “ten best things you can eat” lists, winter squash works well in soups, casseroles, Italian or Asian dishes, muffins or quickbreads. You can substitute it for pumpkin in pie or other desserts.

Winter squash keeps well at room temperature–maybe too well. If you haven’t got a lot of preparation time or don’t know what to do with the vegetable, it’s easy to just let it sit on your counter week after week.

After the jump I’ve posted the three easiest ways I know how to cook and serve winter squash. Use any squash with orange flesh, no matter what the outside looks like. Good options include butternut, acorn, blue hokkaido, hubbard, kabocha, red kuri or turban. Any of the variations would work alongside a meat or vegetarian main dish. Mashed squash is just as filling and more nutritious than white potatoes.

First, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare the squash for baking. Cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the squash face down on a baking sheet or 9×13 dish. I like to put a little water in the bottom of the baking dish. Bake until tender, which depends on the size of the squash. It usually takes about 45 minutes, but a large squash will take closer to an hour.

When the squash is soft, remove from the oven and scoop the flesh into a bowl. My three favorite options:

1. Mash with a little butter and brown sugar. This is good if you’re serving people who aren’t sure whether they like winter squash. Some varieties are sweet enough to eat without the sugar, though.

2. Mash with a few tablespoons of plain unsweeted yogurt (full-fat or low-fat work better than nonfat), a couple of tablespoons of real maple syrup and a pinch of ground cardamom. You might try allspice, nutmeg or cinnamon, but I love cardamom with winter squash.

3. Variation from The New Laurel’s Kitchen (which calls it “Sandy’s Gingered Squash”): Mash 3 cups winter squash with a little butter, salt, 2 Tbsp finely minced fresh ginger, juice from one lemon and 2 Tbsp honey.

Share your own squash recipes in this thread.