Move over stuffed squash, Stuffed Pumpkins are here! They're topped with gruyere cheese and have a delicious homemade turkey sausage filling.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Mini pumpkins – depending on the size of your pumpkins you might need to use more pumpkins. You could also make this recipe using squash.
- Olive oil – swap out for another neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil or canola oil.
- Yellow onion – white onion or shallots would also work.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Kale – spinach or another dark leafy green can be used instead.
- Dry white wine – you can leave this out, I just find that it adds to the flavour.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Gruyere cheese – Emmental, Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese would all be good in this recipe.
Turkey sausage
- Ground turkey – you could also make this sausage with ground chicken or pork.
- Fennel seeds – anise or dill seeds will provide a similar taste.
- Paprika – cayenne is a good substitute here but has a bit more of a kick.
- Onion powder – swap out for garlic powder if you don’t have any onion powder on hand.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
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How to make stuffed pumpkins
- Scrape out the pumpkin seeds.
- Bake the pumpkins.
- Sauté the onions.
- Make the turkey sausage.
- Add in the garlic, kale and wine.
- Stuff the pumpkins, bake and serve!
What to serve with stuffed pumpkins
These stuffed pumpkins are pretty filling on their own, but if you’re looking for side dish ideas, here are some good options:
- Side green salad
- Sweet potato salad
- Roasted veggies
- Brussels sprouts
- Mashed potatoes or baked potatoes
- Crusty bread
Frequently Asked Questions
Roasting pumpkins is easy! Slice the tops off of each of your mini pumpkins and scoop out the seeds (you can even use roast the pumpkin seeds as a yummy snack for later). Drizzle the pumpkin with olive oil, season with salt and pepper then bake on a parchment-covered baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit.
Since you’re scooping out the seeds of the pumpkin, you don’t need to worry about cooking the inside. It’ll get the perfect texture when you bake it in the oven for 15 minutes.
The best way to add flavour to your stuffed pumpkins is with the delicious homemade turkey sausage and gruyere cheese. Trust me, you’re going to want to make this recipe every fall!
Storing and reheating
If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight glass container for 3 to 5 days. When you’re ready to reheat, I’d suggest warming them up in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit. You can try microwaving them, but they’ll likely get all soggy.
You could also try storing the filling separately from the pumpkins. Reheat the turkey sausage mixture in a pan on the stovetop, stuff your pumpkins, top with cheese and bake.
Freezing the turkey sausage
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the stuffed pumpkins, but you can freeze the cooked turkey sausage for up to 3 months. Freeze it in airtight glass containers or freezer-safe Ziploc bags. When you’re ready to use your turkey sausage, let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
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More fall pumpkin recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these stuffed pumpkins into leftovers.
The Best Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 mini pumpkins you may want to double this number if they're really small. Mine were 3 inches tall.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup kale finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dry white wine optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup gruyere cheese grated
Turkey sausage
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add onion, stirring often and cooking for 20 minutes until browned.
- Meanwhile, mix the turkey sausage ingredients together in a bowl, and slice the tops off each pumpkin and scrape out the seeds. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then add to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Add the turkey sausage to the skillet with the onions, breaking up with a spoon. Cook for 5 minutes until browned, then stir in garlic, kale and wine, if using. Season with salt & pepper, cooking another 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Stuff pumpkins with sausage mixture, then top with gruyere cheese. Bake for another 15 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Kat says
My whole family loved this! It was so fun to eat the whole pumpkin. Before this dinner, my kids didn’t realize you ate pumpkin like a squash. We also made this with vegan meat and dairy-free cheese so it was also 100% vegan. Thanks for the recipe! We will definitely make this one again!