Pie Pumpkins are for More Than Pies!

I'm a Freak for Fall. Plain and simple. Other than leaves, what is the iconic symbol of Fall? You are absolutely correct: Pumpkins. Unfortunately, they are overlooked as a Fall meal staple, because of the seasonal type-casting for pies and Jack o' Lanterns.

So, in this entry, I offer these 2 wonderfully easy recipes of respect for the lone orange lovelies-Pumpkins. You can find most of the ingredients at Leafy Greens!

Vegetarian Cheese-Stuffing Pie Pumpkin

Warm, cheesy garlic bread stuffed and roasted in a sweet pie pumkin. Need I say more? Enjoy this mouth-watering pumpkin dinner on a chilly fall night!

Ingredients

• 1 pie-pumpkin (Found at Leafy Greens $1.99)
• 8 oz cheddar cheese (or, a combination of your favorites) grated
 • one 12-14 inch baguette, or hard bread of choice
• 1 Tbsp butter (Found at Leafy Greens)
• 1 Tbsp Taste by Design Garlic Oil (Found at Leafy Greens)
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 3 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup fresh sage, chopped (half, if using dried herb)
• 1/8 cup rosemary, chopped (half, if using dried herb)
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups vegetable stock (as vegetarian option), preferably homemade
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cut off the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds and strings.
 Heat butter and olive oil on low.
Add shallot, garlic, and sage, and cook until sage goes brown and crispy.
Add rosemary and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
Cut the baguette into to 1 1/2 in. pieces.

Place a layer of bread, cheese and shallot-herb mixture in the bottom. Then, layer with more bread, more cheese, and more shallots and herbs, repeating until everything is used up and the pumpkin is full.
Squish it down to compress the bread and cheese as much as possible.
Then pour stock over it until the bread and cheese is well-saturated. Replace the pumpkin lid.
Bake at 350 F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
You want the pumpkin flesh soft, but not mushy, and you want to take it out of the oven before the structure collapses.
Scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the sides to serve.
Serve with a green salad on the side. Makes 4 servings.

 I couldn't resist sharing this down-home comfort-food recipe. LOVE!

NOT a Vegetarian Stuffed Pie Pumpkin

Ingredients: 

• 1-Pie Pumpkin (Found at Leafy Greens $1.99)
• 1 lb. Natural Osage Beef ground beef (Leafy Greens freezer)
• 1/2 lb. Darby Creek Pork sausage (Leafy Greens freezer)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
 • 1 Hemmergarn Farms Free-range egg, slightly beaten (Leafy Greens refrigerator)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs*
• 1 tsp Keystone Beef Stock (Found at Leafy Greens)
• 1 tsp each of parsley, sage rosemary and thyme (singing optional)
• 3 Tbsp Taste By Design Basil Oil (Found at Leafy Greens)

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Clean your pumpkin, washing the outside and scooping out the seeds. Salt the interior of pumpkin.
Keep the top; you’ll use it as a cover during cooking.
Brown the ground meat with the onion and celery; drain and cool slightly.
Mix in the egg, water, beef stock, herbs and oil Salt & pepper to taste.  
Stuff the pumpkin with the meat mixture and replace the top.
Place on a cookie sheet or in a shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until you can easily pierce the pumpkin with a fork.
Slice and serve

For a finishing touch, drizzle some Shagbark Hickory Syrup (Found at Leafy Greens) over it. Delish!

*For gluten free options, you can crumb: 1/2 cup Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten free crackers of choice Or 1/2 cup Eban Bakery gluten free bread of choice (Both found at Leafy Greens)

Bon Appétit!