Miniature Pumpkins – Not Just for Decorating Anymore!
Part of the fun of fall is decorating our homes and tables with the myriad of colorful fall squash that bursts onto the market this time of year. From basic butternut to the twisted orange turban squash to the elongated delicata, most are readily available in our grocery stores from late September through November. They are great to use for table and sideboard decorations and then as you progress through the season you simply start to make them disappear by cooking them!
One of my favorites to use are miniature pumpkins. One of the most common types “Jack Be Little” are the small orange ones that are usually found in most stores in fall. “Tiger Stripe” is another variety I have recently come across that features mottled orange and white stripes. What most people don’t realize is that they are as functional for cooking as they are for decorating. I’ve been cooking with them for well over a dozen years. I don’t really recall where I first learned that they could be cooked but think that it may have been a magazine article or cookbook back in the mid 90’s that prompted me to use them for the first time. My first use of them was for a fall banquet menu where we scooped out the seeds, seasoned the interior with salt and pepper and then steamed them until tender. They were then cooled and had a variety of salad greens along with baby ears of corn arranged inside. Made in this manner we were able to arrange all 100 salads in advance on sheet pans and then simply transfer to plates just before service and drizzle with the dressing and garnish with pomegranate seeds for one last fall touch.
I have since gone on to use them as edible dishes for hot items such as corn puddng which I feature in one of my fall cooking classes, and most recently, meatloaf. They are easy to prepare and make for a flavorful and colorful element to your meal! Start by cooking them as most winter squash – roasting upside down so that the natural moisture will steam and soften the interior. Cook them just until tender so that they can retain their shape when served, keeping in mind that they’ll continue to cook as they are roasted or baked once again with whatever filling you’ve chosen to use.
The biggest challenge I have found is that they can often be in short supply after Halloween. If you should happen to find them, stock up as they can sit around serving as decoration before you enlist them to serve as part of the dinner itself.
Note: I typically try to avoid using the all-white miniature pumpkins as I’ve found them to be too quite resistant to the roasting process and even after extensive time, never found them to roast to the doneness I’d like.
Autumn Meatloaf in Miniature Pumpkins
The juices from the meatloaf seep into the roasted pumpkin as the meatloaf cooks. The skin and flesh is all edible so this gives you both meat and side item in one! You could use your favorite meatloaf mixture in place of this mixture I’ve concocted using Italian sausage. The yield of this will depend on the size of the pumpkins available. Choose ones that are all similar in size so that they will roast evenly. If pumpkins are small, this will provide filling for about six pumpkins. If the miniature pumpkins are on the larger size then it will yield about four. Extra filling could always be baked off or cooked separately and served for breakfast.
Yield: 4-6 miniature pumpkins, depending on size
4 –6 miniature pumpkins
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided use
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (mild or spicy depending on your preference)
1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith)
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 eggs
1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
About 1-inch away from the stem, make a circular cut around the stem of each pumpkin. Remove pumpkin tops and scrape off any seeds or loose filaments that may be attached. Tops may be discarded or roasted with pumpkins and placed on top to garnish before serving. Using a small metal spoon, scrape out seeds from pumpkin cavities. Remove seeds and filaments from pumpkin tops, if using. Combine 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon rubbed sage and mix well. Season the insides of pumpkins with the seasoning blend. Turn pumpkins upside down on a foil or parchment paper lined baking tray and roast in the pre-heated oven until a knife can easily pierce the side of the pumpkin. Depending on size, they should take about 25-35 minutes to roast.
While pumpkins are roasting, place the Italian sausage into a large mixing bowl. Peel and dice the apples and onions into 1/4-inch dice and add to the sausage.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano. Beat until well blended and pour over the sausage mixture. Using your hands, gently work everything together until apples and onion are well-blended throughout and egg mixture is evenly worked into the meat mixture.
When pumpkins are done roasting, turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees. Remove tray from the oven and turn over right-side up.
Divide the meat filling between the roasted pumpkins, mounding slightly on top. Return pumpkins to oven and bake until meat filling is cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature) and nicely browned on top. Remove from oven and serve hot. Place pumpkin tops on meat at a slight angle to garnish, if using.