Stuffed pumpkins and thanksgiving traditions

I’ve made this twice now – and it was SUCH a hit with the entire family – that I think it has to be on our Thanksgiving menu.

Not that we really have thanksgiving plans…because we are trying to keep away from large gatherings….so maybe I will do a whole week of thanksgiving fare, so that we can get to eat all the goods without me having to make a full feast for the four of us in one day.

I’m going to be honest though…the main things everyone seems to love about Thanksgiving aren’t actually my favorites. I don’t like turkey that much, stuffing and mashed potatoes are meh, and green beans are legit one of my least favorite veggies. Here’s what I do like, though. SQUASH. All. The. Squash. And roasted veggies. And sweet potato casserole. Mmmm. That’s the stuff I can get on board with. So I’m thinking I will make my own version of sides that suit my taste buds 🙂 I guess you can do that when you aren’t cooking for a group.

Let me tell you about these stuffed pumpkins and why you should also try them.

I removed the stems, halved and de-seeded them, and then lay them face down on a greased baking sheet.

Then I roasted them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I made the stuffing differently each time and both were SO GOOD. I highly recommend either.

Wild rice stuffing [yields enough to stuff 4 sugar pumpkin halves]

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mixed rice (I used a wild rice/brown rice mix)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (swap veg broth to keep vegan)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 tsp ground sage
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp herb de provence
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper (+/- to taste)

Directions:

Cook rice in broth (rather than water). Once rice is cooked, add in oil, pumpkin seeds, cranberries and dried spices/herbs.

Scoop into cooked pumpkins.

Top with cheese and broil for 1-2 minutes (or until cheese has melted) before serving.

It’s super simple, especially if you cook the rice in the rice cooker or instant pot. You can literally make it all in the same pot.

Pack it in so each pumpkin gets it’s fill.

Top with whatever cheese you want – but I think something melty is especially nice. I used Gruyere one time and Raclette another. We liked both a lot. Brie would be a nice option too.

Believe it or not, the other stuffing option was even easier.

Thank you TJs for making life easy and delicious!

Riced cauliflower that’s basically like stuffing!?!? Uhhhh, YES. The kids didn’t even mind the green onions (which were not subtle).

And full disclosure, I also bought a cauli risotto with butternut squash from the TJs freezer section that I will be trying soon, so get ready for that!

Apparently squash is my Thanksgiving love language.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Was it one you grew up with or something you discovered later in life?

My mom has always roasted root veggies for Thanksgiving but sweet potato casserole was never on the scene until recently.

Oh and let’s not forget the MOST IMPORTANT PART of the day. Dessert! This is when my mom’s chocolate pecan pie takes center stage. It’s the number one best thing to eat. I also loved this vegan and gluten free pumpkin roll I made one year. <– major memories reading that post!!

Sorry pumpkin pie, you are not for me.

Stuffed pumpkin, however, gets two thumbs up.