Sausage Stuffed Pumpkins
This sausage stuffed pumpkin recipe is the perfect fall dish, combining savory Italian sausage, earthy mushrooms, tender spinach, and sweet dried cranberries, all packed into baked mini pumpkins. Topped with crunchy pecans and a sprinkle of parmesan, these stuffed pumpkins are not only delicious but also make a beautiful presentation for any autumn gathering. Perfect for cozy dinners, fall parties, or as a unique holiday side dish!
6
Ingredients
- 6 small Pumpkins approximately 1 pound each
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt divided
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper divided
- 1 pound Ground Italian Sausage remove casing if necessary
- 1 teaspoon Ground Sage
- 2 Shallots diced
- 2 cloves Garlic finely minced
- ½ cup White Wine
- 12 ounces White Mushrooms sliced
- 4 cups Baby Spinach
- 1 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 cup Chopped Pecans
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Wash pumpkins thoroughly, cut off tops, and remove seeds & membranes.
- Place pumpkins on a large baking dish. Using one tablespoon of olive oil brush insides of each pumpkin and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and a ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until fork tender.
- While the pumpkins are in the oven, prepare filling. In a large cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and begin browning sausage over medium-high heat. Break up the sausage using your spatula as it cooks.
- Once sausage has begun to brown add the shallots, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, and sage. Cook another 2 minutes or until sausage is cooked through (no longer pink) and onions & garlic have become aromatic.
- Pour white wine into skillet and scrape brown bits from bottom with a spatula. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Cook 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat or until mushrooms begin to brown and release most of their moisture.
- Next, add baby spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Once spinach has wilted, add cranberries and pecans to sausage mixture, stir to combine.
- Fill each pumpkin with sausage filling.
- Place pumpkins back in oven, uncovered, and continue to bake for 5 minutes or until heated through.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Notes
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- Make sure to pre-roast the pumpkins until they’re fork-tender before stuffing them. This ensures they’re fully cooked and easy to eat when serving.
- Don’t skimp on seasoning the inside of the pumpkins with salt and pepper before baking.
- After browning the sausage, make sure to fully deglaze the pan with white wine (or chicken broth) to scrape up all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom.
- You can prepare the sausage filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply stuff the pumpkins and bake them right before serving.
- Feel free to swap out ingredients based on your preferences or what’s in season. For example, you can replace the Italian sausage with ground turkey, use sweet onion instead of shallots, or add cooked wild rice or quinoa for extra texture.
- If you’re using larger pumpkins or different varieties, keep in mind that the baking time may vary. Always check for doneness by inserting a fork into the pumpkin flesh. It should be tender and easily pierced.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pumpkinCalories: 747kcalCarbohydrates: 69.2gProtein: 32.1gFat: 39.3gSaturated Fat: 14.3gSodium: 1371mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18g
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