1. Cook first 3 ingredients in boiling water to cover in a Dutch oven 25 minutes or until squash is very tender. Drain well, and mash mixture with a fork.

2. Crush 10 crackers, and stir into squash mixture; stir in 1/2 cup cheese and next 5 ingredients. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x-7-inch baking dish.

3. Crush remaining 6 crackers, and sprinkle over casserole; sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese evenly over casserole.

4. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until cheese melts and casserole is bubbly.

Note: To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed; do not top with crackers or cheese. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator; let stand 30 minutes. Uncover and top with crackers and cheese; bake as directed.

1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Add crabmeat and next 4 ingredients to dressing, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 8 hours. Drain crabmeat mixture, reserving 1/4 cup dressing. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves, and serve with reserved dressing.

1. Cut Cornish hens lengthwise through the backbone using kitchen shears, and flatten.

2. Combine salt and next 4 ingredients; rub evenly over hens. Place hens in 2-qt. zip-top freezer bags or 2 large baking dishes. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil; drizzle lemon juice mixture over hens. Seal or cover, and chill 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Remove hens from marinade, discarding marinade.

3. Place hens on cooking grate of grill, and top each with an aluminum foil-wrapped brick. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 18 to 20 minutes on each side, replacing bricks on hens after flipping. Turn grill off, and let stand, covered with grill lid, 5 to 8 minutes or until done. (If using a charcoal grill, transfer hens to a 350° oven, and bake 5 to 8 minutes or until done.) Garnish, if desired.

*Cast-iron skillets may be substituted for foil-wrapped bricks. Place a sheet of foil between each skillet and hen.

1. Grease bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper and sides of pans; set pans aside.

2. Cook first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat, and let cool.

3. Beat buttermilk and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

4. Bake at 350° for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. (Cake layers will appear thin.)

5. Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate Ganache between each cake layer; spread remaining Chocolate Ganache on sides of cake. (Do not frost top of cake.) Chill cake 30 minutes. Pour warm Praline Frosting slowly over top of cake, spreading to edges. (Cover and let stand up to 24 hours, if desired.)

6. Pierce about 25 holes in top of cake using a wooden or metal skewer. Pour warm Bourbon Glaze over cake.