Sweet pumpkin dishes hog too much of the fall food spotlight, if you ask us. Our very favorite pumpkin dishes happen to be savory, and this might be our all-time favorite because pumpkin truly is THE star here. Deseeded baby pumpkin is filled with a dreamy mixture of collard greens, onion, garlic, scallions, tomato, chiles, thyme, nutmeg and sharpe white cheddar. As if that flavor profile isn’t impressive enough, the pumpkin is then topped with parmesan and breadcrumbs; this dish is meatless and you won’t even realize it. The pumpkins emerge from the oven alluring as can be, having turned the most fetching shade of burnt orange imaginable. The filling is creamy, hearty, and just a bit spicy, and the pumpkin flesh is soft and decadent. This festive dish is the perfect choice for getting your crew in the right mood for the season.
Don’t discard your pumpkin seeds – turn them into a healthful, spicy snack.
The flavor begins here:
Tips: This recipe makes 2 pumpkins and serves 4. Trust us, it is plenty. Sugar pumpkins are called for and there are other names they can be found by, such as pie pumpkins or baby bear. If the words “sugar” or “pie” are in the name and they weigh around 2 or 3 pounds each, you can be pretty sure they would work well for this recipe. These pie pumpkins yield a softer, sweeter, less stringy flesh than other pumpkins, so you don’t want to buy just any ole’ pumpkin. This recipe calls for frozen chopped collard greens, which aren’t widely available. Alternatively, use 3-4 bunches of fresh collard greens, roughly chopped: heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the greens and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Drain in a colander. We suggest using good quality sharp white cheddar here as it will make a big difference. A Scotch bonnet chile pepper is called for (also not widely available). A serrano would work fine too.
This dish is rich, decadent, and full of vitamins. As you prepare and enjoy this with your family, teach them a few things about some of the ingredients:
- Pumpkin is a terrific source of beta-carotene, as evidenced in it’s bright orange gourd, which helps keep your eyes healthy.
- Pumpkin also helps keep your cells healthy, which helps you age well.
- Collard greens provide you with plenty of vitamin K, which is necessary for healthy bones.
This little gal had a difficult time of sharing with her pumpkin partner (Dad). She was a bit of a hog…
It is said that most pumpkins are grown in Illinois, so let’s learn a few things about this state:
- The ice cream sundae supposedly originated in Evanston.
- Nabisco (in Chicago) is the largest bakery in the world.
- Almost 80% of the land is farmland.
From: Spicy Pumpkin with Collards
- 2 2 -to-3-pound sugar pumpkins
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 plum tomato, diced
- 1 Scotch bonnet (or serrano) chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 pound frozen chopped collard greens, thawed (see TAC blog post for fresh greens variation)
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
- 1½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice off the top 1½ inches of the pumpkins and discard. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, chile pepper, thyme and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions and collard greens, add 1¼ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until the greens are slightly tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and nutmeg and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, the cheddar cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Put the pumpkins in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and fill evenly with the collard greens mixture.
- Toss the remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs with the parmesan. Sprinkle over the filling. Add 1 inch of boiling water to the baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the pumpkins are tender, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until browned and bubbly on top, about 30 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then scrape the pumpkin flesh and serve with the collards.
