Ground Turkey & Brown Butter Sage Stuffed Pumpkins
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I like using hollowed out roasted pumpkins as bowls and stuff them with meat and stuffing filling. Stuffed pumpkins like this are basically like a healthier versions of a bread bowl (one of my personal favorite indulgences). The filling in the pumpkin bowls, with a mix of Gruyère cheese, stale bread, sautéed vegetables and ground turkey, is like a savory bread pudding.
As you eat the stuffed pumpkins, scrape the sweet flesh from the sides of the roasted pumpkin shell and devour each bite of the filling for an all-in-one twist on thanksgiving dinner. This version of Thanksgiving food is perfect for smaller holiday gatherings where roasting a whole turkey may not make sense. You still get all the holiday flavors in this dish throughout the stuffed pumpkin recipe without the day-long prep.
Ground Turkey & Brown Butter Sage Stuffed Pumpkins
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Pumpkin – “Sugar”, “sugar pie” or “pie pumpkins” are the best types of pumpkins to use for baking. Larger varieties used for carving often have a much tougher texture and lack the sweetness of the smaller pumpkins. It acts as both the vessel and additional vegetables.
- Turkey – Ground turkey is typically made from both light and dark meat. The ground turkey in this stuffed pumpkin recipe can be swapped with ground chicken or pork though it’s not as seasonal.
- Mirepoix – A combination of carrots, celery and onion are sautéed to create the flavorful base of stuffing. This combination is referred to as sofrito in Italian and is often called a mirepoix in French cooking.
- Sage – The chopped fresh sage leaves are fried in butter to add a nutty and more complex flavor to the filling.
- Gruyère cheese – Gruyère is a hard cheese with a nutty, sweet flavor from Switzerland. The fact that it melts well (due to a high water to oil ratio) mixed with t’s distinct flavor makes it the perfect addition to anything from sandwiches to mac and cheese or fondue. If you can’t find Gruyère, I recommend substituting with another Swiss cheese like Emmental.
How to Make Turkey & Brown Butter Sage Stuffed Pumpkins
Step 1: Cut pumpkins.
Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Turn each pumpkin on its side, and use a sharp knife to slice the top, including the stem, off the pumpkin, about 1-inch down. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and discard or reserve for another use.
Step 2: Roast pumpkins.
Rub the inside of the pumpkins with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then arrange the pumpkins and cut off tops on a baking sheet. Roast until the meat is soft, about 35 minutes. Set aside.
Step 3: Sauté vegetables.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the remaining oil and heat through. Add the carrots, onion and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Cook the turkey.
Add the ground turkey to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally and using a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then remove the turkey mixture to a large mixing bowl and toss with the bread.
Step 5: Make sage butter.
Lower the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).Return the pan to medium-low heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the sage to the pan and cook until the butter is nutty and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
Step 6: Combine filling.
Add the sage butter to the turkey mixture. Pour the chicken stock over top, tossing to combine until all the bread is moistened then add 1 cup of the Gruyère cheese and toss to combine.
Step 7: Stuff pumpkins and bake.
Fill the roasted pumpkins with the stuffing mixture until packed and almost overflowing. Top each with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble, about 15 minutes.
Step 8: Serve.
Remove and serve immediately with the pumpkin tops propped against the side.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- This recipe can easily be made using acorn squash instead of sugar pie pumpkin.
- Another crusty bread like ciabatta will work in place of the baguette.
What to do if the bread isn’t stale
If the baguette is not stale, dice the baguette into ½” cubes and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) until the bread is dry and stale, about 20 minutes.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this stuffed pumpkin recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
Ground Turkey & Brown Butter Sage Stuffed Pumpkins
Ingredients:
- 4 small sugar pumpkins, about 2 pounds each
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3½ cups ½” cubes of stale French baguette
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1½ cups shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Turn each pumpkin on its side, and use a sharp knife to slice the top, including the stem, off the pumpkin, about 1-inch down. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and discard or reserve for another use.
- Rub the inside of the pumpkins with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then arrange the pumpkins and cut off tops on a baking sheet. Roast until the meat is soft, about 35 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the remaining oil and heat through. Add the carrots, onion and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally and using a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then remove the turkey mixture to a large mixing bowl and toss with the bread.
- Lower the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Return the pan to medium-low heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the sage to the pan and cook until the butter is nutty and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
- Add the sage butter to the turkey mixture. Pour the chicken stock over top, tossing to combine until all the bread is moistened then add 1 cup of the Gruyère cheese and toss to combine.
- Fill the roasted pumpkins with the stuffing mixture until packed and almost overflowing. Top each with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted and begins to bubble, about 15 minutes.
- Remove and serve immediately with the pumpkin tops propped against the side.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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Thanks for sharing ! Does it keep long?
It keeps for up to 3 days. I recommend re-heating it in the oven for best results!
This looks so good! What a fun way to serve it!
Thank you!!