With Halloween behind us, it's time to dive into the crisp autumn weather – but don't throw smashing pumpkins just yet! Now is the perfect time for creating fall-inspired recipes with the season's most notorious gourd, the great pumpkin.

The jack-of-all-trades jack-o'-lantern is one of the most versatile foods of them all: whether it's served whipped into a pie or grilled into a warm, gooey quesadilla. Here are a few recipes that show just how many ways to serve it:

• Baked pumpkin doughnuts – Who said Thanksgiving cooking is all work with no reward? These quick and easy treats can be whipped up in a jiffy – and taste delicious when paired with your morning coffee.

• Pumpkin stuff with everything good – Nope, this isn't what your Uncle Joe nicknamed Grandma's secret recipe – this is the actual title given to this recipe by the talented editors at People Magazine. Why, you ask? Because there's no better way to describe bread, cheese, garlic, herbs and bacon cooked for hours inside a sweet and savory pumpkin.

• Pumpkin spinach bean quesadilla – Putting pumpkin in a quesadilla is a fantastic combination. In fact, we haven't seen a better pairing since the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sat down together for the first Thanksgiving.

• Double layer pumpkin cheesecake – Sure, you'll have the traditional pecan pies and candied yams for Thanksgiving, but what's a better combination than pumpkin and chocolate? Besides, no guest ever complained there's "simply too many desserts."

What's your favorite pumpkin recipe? Share it with us on the WaterWays Facebook page.