Tender, sweet, baked stuffed pumpkin with a delicious mixture of rice, vegetables, nuts & cranberries. A beautiful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving or Halloween gathering!
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This festive Roast Stuffed Pumpkin centerpiece is filled to bursting with a delicious mixture of rice, vegetables, nuts, and cranberries, and as well as being great for Thanksgiving, it makes a fantastic Halloween dinner centerpiece!
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How To Make Stuffed Pumpkin
It's not as difficult as it looks to make this stuffed pumpkin. Here is a brief summary of the steps involved:
- Cut the top of the pumpkin and remove the stringy, seedy innards then brush the inside of the pumpkin with some oil and season generously.
- Saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms.
- Mix all of the filling ingredients up in a bowl then stuff them tightly inside the pumpkin.
- Put the lid of the pumpkin on, wrap it all in foil then bake.
Be sure to read my important food safety tips below.
How To Safely Make In Advance
IMPORTANT - Once this pumpkin has been baked you cannot reheat it or it's filling.
Rice is a common cause of food poisoning and when working with cooked rice it is important to be aware of food safety. Cooked rice should always be cooled very quickly in a shallow container and refrigerated as soon as possible or you could be at risk of food poisoning. As long as it is quickly cooled and then refrigerated immediately it can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Also as per the NHS, Food Safety Canada, and the CDC, cooked rice should only ever be reheated once or you could be at risk of food poisoning. For more information see Risk of Bacillus cereus in Relation to Rice and Derivatives.
This means that when making this baked stuffed pumpkin in advance, you need to ensure that the cooked rice you are using to make the filling is cooked, then cooled and refrigerated quickly. When you mix the filling ingredients together stuff it into the pumpkin immediately (don't leave it out at room temperature), wrap the pumpkin in foil then refrigerate immediately. The pumpkin will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days once stuffed and wrapped as long as it is made with freshly cooked and refrigerated rice that hasn't been previously stored for more than 1 or 2 days.
This stuffed pumpkin is great for prepping in advance and taking to gatherings or potlucks but you must do this safely and with the above information in mind. You can prepare it, wrap it up in foil, refrigerate it, then take it along uncooked and chilled with you to the gathering to bake there and then serve. Or roast it at home right before and transport it while hot, not reheating it again when you get there. Once it has been baked it cannot be reheated.
Variations
- Use a squash instead of a pumpkin. Rounder-shapes are easier to cut and fill so bear that in mind when shopping for one.
- Use cooked quinoa or any other cooked grain in place of the rice.
- Add any chopped nuts or dried fruit you like to the filling.
- Change up the herbs and spices. Use whatever you like. The beauty of this filling is you can taste as you go to get it just right..
- Add some extra chopped veggies to the filling.
What To Serve With Stuffed Pumpkin
This stuffed pumpkin is really versatile and can work as a side or an entree. It's perfect served as a centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner alongside your usual sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole, and it makes a fun meal at Halloween. Here are some of my recipes that it works well with:
How To Roast The Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted pumpkin seeds are super delicious and easy to make. Save the seeds from your pumpkin and roast them quickly and easily. Simply rinse them with water until they look pretty clean. Don't worry about a few stringy bits. Let them dry completely. Toss in a teaspoon or two of oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and spread on a baking tray. Roast in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy. Yum!
Recipe
Roast Stuffed Pumpkin
Author:Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 grams) chopped walnut pieces
- 1 medium pumpkin , or round squash, ( approximately 8 inch diameter - If your pumpkin is very different in size then please see the recipe notes)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil , optional (or any other kind of oil you like)
- 1 medium onion , chopped finely
- 3 large cloves garlic , chopped finely
- 10 white or cremini mushrooms , chopped into small pieces
- 1 packed cup (200 grams) cooked & cooled rice , any kind of rice is fine although there will be more flavour/texture if you use wild rice
- ½ cup (60 grams) dried cranberries
- 1 large handful fresh spinach , chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano , or use dried mixed herbs instead of the oregano and thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt & pepper , to taste
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 °C)
- Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat for two minutes until they smell really nutty and toasted. keep them moving constantly. Remove from heat, pour into a small bowl and set aside.
- Sauté the onions and garlic in one teaspoon of the oil until just starting to turn golden. If you wish to keep the recipe oil-free use a tablespoon or two of water instead of the oil and as more as necessary.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute longer then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Carefully cut the top off the pumpkin (about the top third) and set aside.
- If you can't see the seedy innards then just use a small sharp knife to cut a circle out of the flesh at the top and pull it out like a plug. Remove the stringy innards and seeds.
- Brush the inside of the pumpkin with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil (omit if you want the recipe to be oil-free) then season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the cooked rice, dried cranberries, chopped spinach, toasted walnuts, herbs, cumin and the sauteed onions, garlic and mushrooms into a bowl and mix well together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the rice mixture into the pumpkin cavity, pressing down hard to pack it in tightly and keep going until it's full.
- Place the pumpkin top back on then wrap completely and tightly in foil.
- Place on a baking tray and bake for around 1 hr 30 mins or until tender. Check it by pulling back some foil and inserting a knife or a fork into the side. If it is soft and the knife goes in easily it is ready.
- Remove from the oven and leave for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
NOTES
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Mary Ann says
Delicious recipe. My husband and I are new vegans, and we really enjoyed this alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey! I like to chop the onions coarsely, and thickly slice the mushrooms so that you can see the texture in the stuffing. I also like to double the recipe - I just put the leftover mixture in a covered casserole dish and cook it along with the pumpkin. I'm thinking about adding some chopped and sauted Granny Smith apple to the mix for next time!
Hoi Nam says
Could you explain a bit more on how to cook the pumpkin in advance? I could not really get what you said about how the rice could only be reheated once and the pumpkin has to be uncooked.
Can I make the cooked rice, and roast the pumpkin in advance. Then when it is ready to serve, I add the rice in the pumpkin and bake them all together?
A Virtual Vegan says
Once cooked, rice should only be reheated once for food safety reasons. So once you stuff the pumpkin with the cooked rice and bake it you shouldn't reheat it again.
You can easily make it in advance. Just cook the rice and cool it quickly, mix with the other ingredients, stuff the pumpkin, wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.
You don't need to roast your pumpkin in advance. Just put it all together and keep it in the fridge until you need it, then bake and serve. If you roast the pumpkin in advance without the rice in it you risk it getting too soft and falling apart when you stuff it.
Hope that helps.
Freida says
This is awesome. Everyone loved it.
Kat says
This looks amazing and I can't wait to try it. For a household that doesn't like mushrooms, is there a particular bean or vegetable that would be a good substitute in the filling?
A Virtual Vegan says
I think sauteed eggplant, artichokes, squash, zucchini would all work. Chickpeas would be great too. And black beans. The filling is really flexible. As long as you keep the quantities roughly the same you can add whatever you like, customizing to suit your tastes. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it when you get a chance to try it!
Annette says
I added lentils because I try to incorporate some kind of beans in every meal. Came out great! Last year I brought to a Thanks Giving dinner with turkey eating friends. I had this with a couple sides and when when back for pumpkin seconds it was gone!
Christopher says
I didn't see what to do with the spinach. I presume you would sautee after the mushrooms and add to the filling mixture? Have you tried making it with fresh cranberries instead of dried? They're in season, so thought I might give that a try. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
The spinach just gets mixed into the bowl with the other filling ingredients. You don't need to cook it first.
Dried cranberries are best for this recipe. They add chewy texture and little bursts of sweetness. Fresh ones would be a bit tart and probably end up indistinguishable amongst the rice once it was all baked. They might also be a bit tart.
Ari says
Do you cook the rice first or put it in with the filling and bake it?
A Virtual Vegan says
You need to start with cooked, cooled rice.
JO COBURN says
I made this for my husband's family Thanksgiving, it was wonderful! Eventhough my pumpkin was undercooked, the filling was awsome and it looked so cool in the pumpkin. I will make another one next year, and be more mindful of the timing inorder for the pumpkin to be eaten!! I used extra ingredients to make a second batch of filling to which I added one diced and cooked sweet potatoe for another carry-in the same weekend. This was also well recieved!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Jo! An easy way to know if the pumpkin is nicely cooked is to just stick a fork in it from the outside. It should go in easily and feel tender. Hope that helps and thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback!
Karen says
Can you use a different squash? Kabocha perhaps?
Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
Any round shaped squash or pumpkin will be fine.
Molly says
What kind of pumpkin? Could we use the kind that are sold for Halloween or does it need to be a certain variety?
Melanie McDonald says
Any kind will do. The real cheap halloween ones can be a bit fibrous and tasteless but they are perfectly edible and look good on the table. I often use them regardless. The big round squat "Cinderella" looking pumpkins (I believe called Rouge Vif d'Etampes) are really great for it, as are Cheese Pumpkins (they look like Cinderella style pumpkins but are creamy white colour), blue pumpkins or the ones labelled sugar pie pumpkins too. Basically any pumpkin or squash will be fine. Whichever one you think would look best on your table!
Susanna says
Hi - pumpkin stuffed, wrapped and ready to go for lunch with friends tomorrow. I am just wondering if perhaps I could slow cook it? Any advice?
A Virtual Vegan says
I think you could slow cook it. The pumpkin would probably end up much sweeter. I've never tried though so I'm not sure on temperature or timings.
Elle says
Is it really necessary to wrap it in foil? I bake whole winter squashes of all different varieties without cutting a wrapping them. And they always come out really well. So does the foil really do something? Or could we just do it with out?
A Virtual Vegan says
In testing I found it turned out better with foil. It enables the pumpkin to steam which keeps the filling moister and helps the pumpkin to cook more evenly and quickly.
Tamara Russell says
This was our Christmas dinner and very lovely.
LCM says
I made this today. Though it took me longer to prepare, it was well worth it. Thanks for posting this yummy recipe!
Todd mickens says
I can't wait to make this
tracy says
Hi...do you recommend sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries in this recipe?
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
It doesn't really matter. Just use what you've already got or whatever one you prefer. I tend to struggle to buy unsweetened cranberries here so usually use sweetened.
Annette says
amazing recipe. We make it every Thanksgiving!
Cynthia Larson says
Made this for a church potluck, I didn't slice it just put a spoon in the pumpkin, several requested the recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Cynthia. It's perfect for pot lucks. I'm glad it was well received!
Sumana says
Tried this recipe yesterday. Family loved it.no left overs!
virginia says
So pretty and super delicious!
Laura says
I make this recipe every year as a tradition for my young son. I typically replace the mushrooms with chopped water chestnuts for texture and crunch and use half toasted pecans and half toasted walnuts. I serve this with Vegan Richa's One-Bowl Pumpkin Bread using her GF flour blend from her cookbook for dessert. This does take awhile to prepare and plenty of cleanup afterwards, so I make this only for Thanksgiving dinner annually.
Brie says
What a stunning meal!
Robyn says
I making this every year. Delicious!!