Description
A cozy and hearty fall dish featuring small sugar pumpkins stuffed with a savory and slightly sweet mixture of wild rice, ground sausage, cranberries, and pecans. Baked until the pumpkins are tender, this recipe combines warm spices and textures perfect for autumn meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin
- 2 small sugar pumpkins (2–3 lbs each)
Filling
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the stuffed pumpkins.
- Prepare the Pumpkins: Slice off the tops of the pumpkins and scoop out all seeds and strings. Rub the inside of each pumpkin with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper to season and prevent sticking.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute to release its aroma.
- Cook Sausage: Add ground sausage to the skillet, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook thoroughly until browned and no longer pink.
- Mix Filling Ingredients: Stir in cooked wild rice, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and dried sage to the sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, combining all ingredients evenly.
- Stuff the Pumpkins: Fill each prepared pumpkin with the sausage and rice mixture, packing gently but not tightly. Place the stuffed pumpkins upright on a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil to retain moisture during baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is tender when pierced with a fork, indicating it is fully cooked.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the pumpkins from the oven, uncover them, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to settle and the filling to firm slightly.
Notes
- Make sure to select small sugar pumpkins as they are sweeter and have a tender rind suitable for baking and eating.
- Use cooked wild rice to save time and ensure the filling is fully cooked inside the pumpkin.
- You can substitute ground sausage with ground turkey or a vegetarian sausage alternative for a different protein option.
- Covering the pumpkins loosely with foil prevents them from drying out while baking.
- If pumpkin flesh is too firm after the baking time, extend baking in 10-minute increments until tender.
