Let's agree on one thing, all veggies are beautiful but the pumpkin kind of wins the lottery when it comes to how festive and pretty it can make a plate. These mini stuffed pumpkins make the most beautiful centerpieces for a holiday dish and we love serving them for Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas. The colors just pop, and people love cutting into their own little pumpkin. It's also quite stunning to serve a big pumpkin at the center of the table with all of the filling, and ceremoniously serve everyone from it. Whatever you choose, the sweet and creamy pumpkin contrasts beautifully with what we're stuffing it with.
They have a fall inspired filling with bulgur wheat (but you can choose any whole grain you like and even make these gluten free by using quinoa!), sage, raisins or dried cranberries, pecans and some of the pumpkin as well. We're also teaching you how to make a creamy mushroom sauce you can pour all over them for a total holiday treat. Perfect for a rainy or cold day.
Without further ado, here's our recipe, video, and pdf printable for our stuffed pumpkins and mushroom sauce!
STUFFED PUMPKINS WITH A SAGE, BULGUR, FALL FILLING AND A CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE
Yield: 4 stuffed small pumpkins or one medium-large pumpkin | Prep time: 30 minutes⎮ Cook time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
For the sage and bulgur filling:
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
- 2 cups water
- A large pinch of sea salt
- A pinch of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves (whole)
- 1/2 cup pecans (or your favorite nut), roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
For the mushroom sauce:
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- A splash of red wine
- 3 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
For assembly:
- 4 small pumpkins or 1 medium-large pumpkin
Directions
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Pre-heat your oven to 400ºF (205ºC).
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Slice the top off your pumpkins and scoop out the seeds.
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Place the tops back on the pumpkins, and place them on a baking tray loosely covered with foil.
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Roast them in the oven until tender. The time will depend on the size and type of pumpkin your choose, ours took about 45 minutes to roast.
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While your pumpkins roast, cook your bulgur wheat.
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Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil and add the sea salt, pepper and bulgur wheat.
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Let it come back up to a boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let it steam for 20 minutes. Once ready, fluff with a fork and set aside. Note: if any liquid remains at this point, you can turn the heat on medium and let it evaporate, it should just take 1 or 2 minutes.
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Prepare your sauce by melting the tablespoon of butter in a pan and adding the onion.
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Add a pinch of sea salt to release the juices. Cook until translucent and slightly golden.
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Add the garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant.
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Add the flour and stir frequently for about 1 minute.
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Add a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan and cook until most of it has evaporated.
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Add your mushrooms and toss, then add the vegetable broth.
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Cook until it has reduced and thickened, add some salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and warm it up just before serving.
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Once your pumpkins are tender, carefully scoop out some of the pumpkin flesh being careful not to break the skin as these are going to act as our bowls.
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Chop the flesh you scooped out and set aside.
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To prepare your filling, heat a pan on medium-high heat, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and immediately add your sage leaves. Let them fry in the butter.
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Add in the pecans and let them get toasted.
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Add the raisins and toss. Season with a bit of sea salt and pepper.
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Add your reserved chopped pumpkin and toss.
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Add in the cooked bulgur wheat and toss well.
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Taste and add more sea salt and pepper if needed.
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Fill your pumpkins with the bulgur mixture, place the pumpkin top over it and serve with the warm sauce on the side. Enjoy!
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