Best 4 Spinach Stuffed Pumpkins Recipes

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Spinach stuffed pumpkin is a vibrant and flavorful dish that combines the earthy notes of spinach with the sweetness of roasted pumpkin. This dish makes a stunning centerpiece for any table and is packed with nutrients. Whether you are looking for a healthy and delicious vegetarian main course or a unique side dish, spinach stuffed pumpkins are sure to be a crowd-pleaser. With endless variations and fillings to choose from, this article will provide you with all the information you need to craft the perfect spinach stuffed pumpkin.

Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!

STUFFED PUMPKIN DINNER



Stuffed Pumpkin Dinner image

This recipe is a great way to use a pumpkin up after scooping out the seeds to bake. It is so delicious and fancy enough to serve to guests.-Christin Holt, Kingsburg, California

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h50m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 large pumpkin (5-1/2 to 6 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small green pepper, chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped fully cooked ham
2 eggs, beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Steps:

  • Wash pumpkin; cut a 6-in. circle around top stem. Remove top and set aside; discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkin in a large Dutch oven. Fill with boiling water to a depth of 6 in.; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is almost tender but holds its shape. Carefully remove and drain well; pat dry. , In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain well. Cool slightly; place in a large bowl. Add rice, tomato sauce, ham, eggs, garlic, oregano, pepper, vinegar and remaining salt. , Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Firmly pack beef mixture into pumpkin; replace top. Leaving pan uncovered, bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the top; if desired, use paper towel to remove excess moisture from top of meat. Slice pumpkin into wedges.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 285 calories, Fat 13g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 114mg cholesterol, Sodium 595mg sodium, Carbohydrate 20g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 23g protein.

STUFFED BABY PUMPKINS



Stuffed Baby Pumpkins image

Sarah Frey, who sells more pumpkins than anyone else in America, often entertains retailers and produce executives at her farmhouse in southern Illinois. She likes to serve white baby pumpkins stuffed with spinach and cheese. Along with their orange counterparts, mini-pumpkins are often considered more decorative than culinary. But they make a dramatic side dish that can be stuffed with any manner of fillings that complement the layer of soft, cooked pumpkin that clings to the skin. This recipe uses Gruyère and kale, with pine nuts for texture and red pepper flakes for heat. The hardest part is carving off the pumpkin tops and cleaning out the tiny seeds. Bake for an hour, then test; it is hard to predict how much time each pumpkin takes to become tender when pierced with a fork.

Provided by Kim Severson

Categories     stuffing and dressing, side dish

Time 1h45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

6 mini-pumpkins, preferably the white variety
1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to prepare the shells
2 tablespoons butter
2 scallions (about 1/3 cup), chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
4 cups baby kale or stemmed and roughly chopped lacinato kale (about 4 ounces)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup white bread crumbs, lightly toasted
2/3 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

Steps:

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the pumpkins. With a small, sharp knife, remove the tops as if for a jack-o'-lantern. Scoop out the seeds and stringy insides with a spoon, leaving the flesh intact. Rinse, then rub with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
  • Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add the scallions and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or so, until fragrant. Add the kale and cook until it just wilts, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and transfer to a bowl. Add the bread crumbs, cheese, pine nuts, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black peppers. Mix well, then stir in the cream.
  • Divide the filling into the pumpkins and replace the tops. Rub a baking dish with olive oil and arrange the filled pumpkins in the dish.
  • Bake for 1 hour, watching to make sure the tops don't brown too much. Test the pumpkins by piercing with a fork. If the skin doesn't pierce easily, remove the tops and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Replace the tops and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 224, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 10 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 164 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams

SPINACH-STUFFED PUMPKINS



Spinach-Stuffed Pumpkins image

Sweet mini pumpkins stuffed with creamed spinach and topped with melted cheese. Sure to impress!

Provided by TOBERAH

Categories     Fruits and Vegetables     Vegetables     Squash

Time 50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 5

4 small sugar pumpkins
1 (9 ounce) package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 slices white cheese, such as Monterey Jack
butter

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Cut off tops and remove seeds from pumpkins. Coat the insides with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Replace lids. Place in a shallow baking dish with a small amount of water to prevent bottoms from scorching during cooking.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until insides have darkened yet outsides remain firm. Meanwhile, small saucepan, stir softened cream cheese into spinach until melted and well-blended.
  • Fill pumpkins with spinach mixture, and top each with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven for 3 minutes to melt cheese if serving immediately. Pumpkins may be covered and refrigerated at this point until ready to serve. May be reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 406.7 calories, Carbohydrate 27.5 g, Cholesterol 72.1 mg, Fat 28.7 g, Fiber 6.1 g, Protein 13.6 g, SaturatedFat 15.8 g, Sodium 429.2 mg, Sugar 6.3 g

PUMPKIN STUFFED WITH EVERYTHING GOOD



Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good image

I heard an interview on NPR with Dorie Greenspan, the author of a cookbook called "Around My French Table." The author describes this as a great dish that far surpasses the description or list of ingredients. She also says there are a million variation -- use rice instead of bread, add nuts, apples, spinach, etc. The recipe I'm posting here is the one the interviewer absolutely raved about on the program! (I'm subbing vegetarian bacon for the real bacon. Too me the flavor is the same and you don't have all the bad stuff in real bacon.)

Provided by Wish I Could Cook

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 2h25m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 lbs whole pumpkin
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 lb stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 lb cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 -4 garlic cloves, split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped (to taste)
4 slices vegetarian bacon, cooked until crisp, and chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives (green onions) or 1/4 cup sliced scallion (green onions)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Steps:

  • As written:.
  • Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that's just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you'll have to serve it from the pot - which is an appealingly homey way to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn't so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I've always taken my chances with the baked-on-a-sheet method, and so far, I've been lucky.
  • Using a very sturdy knife - and caution - cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o'-lantern). It's easiest to work your knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle. You want to cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot. Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper - you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure - and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled - you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little - you don't want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (But it's hard to go wrong here.).
  • Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours - check after 90 minutes - or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little.
  • When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully - it's heavy, hot, and wobbly - bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you'll bring to the table.
  • Serving:.
  • You have choices:you can cut wedges of the pumpkin and filling; you can spoon out portions of the filling, making sure to get a generous amount of pumpkin into the spoonful; or you can dig into the pumpkin with a big spoon, pull the pumpkin meat into the filling, and then mix everything up. I'm a fan of the pull-and-mix option. Served in hearty portions followed by a salad, the pumpkin is a perfect cold-weather main course; served in generous spoonfuls or wedges, it's just right alongside the Thanksgiving turkey.
  • Storing:.
  • It's really best to eat this as soon as it's ready. However, if you've got leftovers, you can scoop them out of the pumpkin, mix them up, cover, and chill them; reheat them the next day.
  • Greenspan's Stuffing Ideas:.
  • There are many ways to vary this arts-and-crafts project. Instead of bread, I've filled the pumpkin with cooked rice - when it's baked, it's almost risotto-like. And, with either bread or rice, on different occasions I've added cooked spinach, kale, chard, or peas (the peas came straight from the freezer). I've made it without bacon, and I've also made and loved, loved, loved it with cooked sausage meat; cubes of ham are another good idea. Nuts are a great addition, as are chunks of apple or pear or pieces of chestnut.

Tips:

  • Choose small pumpkins that are uniform in size and shape for even cooking.
  • To easily remove the pumpkin seeds, cut the pumpkin in half and scoop them out with a spoon.
  • Be careful when handling the pumpkins as they can be slippery.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkins to avoid tearing the skin.
  • Cook the pumpkins until they are tender but still hold their shape.
  • If you are short on time, you can use pre-cooked or canned pumpkin puree.
  • For a vegetarian version of this dish, omit the chicken or beef and add more vegetables.
  • Serve the pumpkins immediately after they are cooked.

Conclusion:

Spinach stuffed pumpkins are a delicious and festive dish that is perfect for special occasions. They are also a great way to use up leftover pumpkin puree. With a little planning and effort, you can easily create this impressive dish that will wow your guests. So next time you're looking for a unique and flavorful recipe, give spinach stuffed pumpkins a try!

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