Family Meals Matter: Celebrate fall foods with these warm family meals

Daylight Saving Time ended this week, with most of the country "falling back" an hour to return to Standard Time. This time change marks the end of the harvest, and store shelves and road side stands should offer wide varieties of squash, apples and pumpkin during this time.

Celebrate with a Fall Harvest Family Meal of Squash and Leek Lasagna, Apple Salad with Yogurt Honey Dressing and a Light and Creamy Pumpkin Mousse.

Warm your family as the weather cools with other hearty Fall Harvest recipes, including Roasted Fall Vegetables, Slow Cooker Fall Pork Tenderloin, Buttermilk-Butternut Squash Soup and Cinnamint Cappuccino. Register for free at MealsMatter.org to add these and other healthy recipes to your own personalized meal plan and shopping list.

"Family Meals Matter" features recipes selected by registered dietitians from the thousands of user-contributed recipes available at our free online nutrition and meal-planning website, Meals Matter (www.mealsmatter.org), sponsored by Dairy Council of California. Healthy Eating Made Easier.

FEATURED FAMILY MEAL

Squash and Leek Lasagna

Servings: 12

10 ounces lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large or 5 medium leeks, pale green and white parts only, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly (about 6 cups)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups nonfat milk

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and grated using the large-hole side of a box grater

6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated using the large-hole side of a box grater

¼ cup toasted pine nuts (see tip)

1. Preheat oven to 3500F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot and cover with cool water.