Pumpkin

Serve this creamy mousse with gingersnaps instead of spoons.

The key to balancing the richness of the cream and the sweetness of the pumpkin in this simple sauce is salty, starchy pasta water. Remember, it should taste "salty like the sea."

Pumpkin and oil keep this cake fresh even in high, dry mountain air. Topped with a white icing glaze and walnuts, it makes a gala presentation, and at every altitude it won high praise from taste-testers of all ages.

When we opted to cut out grains from our diet, one of the hardest things to give up was, strangely enough, stuffing-the kind you eat with Thanksgiving dinner. Most stuffing is made with bread crumbs, and that just wouldn't do. So Ryan put a lot of effort into developing and testing more nutritious alternatives, and eventually came up with this-a delicious and more-than-satisfying substitute. When they taste it for the first time, many people want to know his secret. They're shocked when he tells them it's omitting the bread crumbs. But there's no denying this dish tastes like the real deal, and it's more filling (so it involves less actual stuffing of the face!). It pairs nicely with any poultry, so there's no need to wait until Thanksgiving to make it. Try it with our Sweet Cherry Sauce for an extra decadent side.

Don't be fooled by the simple ingredient list: the combo of pumpkin purée and heavy cream turns into a luxurious pasta sauce with a rich smokiness thanks to Spanish smoked paprika.

Cinnamon-sugar coated snickerdoodle cookie dough is pressed into a pie plate, making a fun and easy crust for this dreamy pumpkin icebox pie.

A press-in crust, short bake time, and do-ahead option liberate you (and your oven) on Thanksgiving Day.