Pumpkin Casserole

“Remember that it is a one-off dish, I am not sure if I will make it again but it was definitely unique.”

Pumpkin Casserole #

When you grow pumpkins on your allotment and end up with too many, you inevitably start searching for creative ideas. After giving a few to friends and leaving some in the hen run for the chickens to feed on, I was still left with a good number.

That’s when I had a spark — Pumpkin Casserole!

I realised the pumpkin itself could be used as a casserole dish — bake it inside the pumpkin, stuffed with meat. Voila!

It’s a hollowed-out pumpkin, filled with spiced meat and roasted whole. Since pumpkins come in unpredictable shapes and sizes, the baking time really depends on how long it takes for the pumpkin to get soft enough to pierce with a knife — so being precise is almost impossible.

I chose a small one from the allotment and gave it a go.

📝 Ingredients #

  • 1 medium-sized pumpkin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 2–3 garlic cloves
  • ½ kg boneless lamb or beef
  • 2 onions
  • 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • Whole spices (black pepper, green and black cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon)
  • Chilli flakes (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp oil (for rubbing the pumpkin)

👩‍🍳 Recipe #

  1. Prepare the meat:

    • Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
    • Add whole spices and sliced onions.
    • Add meat, salt, and ginger garlic paste. Fry well.
    • Close the cooker lid and pressure cook until the meat is slightly cooked. Set aside.

  2. Prepare the pumpkin:

    • Preheat oven to 180°C (fan).
    • Cut the top off the pumpkin (as a lid). Scoop out seeds and stringy pith using a metal spoon.
    • Rub the inside and outside of the pumpkin with oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.

  3. Stuff and bake:

    • Fill the pumpkin with the partially cooked meat, garlic cloves, and chilli flakes.
    • Close with the pumpkin lid and place on a baking tray.
    • Bake for 1 hour, then check for softness by piercing the skin.
    • Continue baking for another 30 minutes if needed, until the pumpkin is soft and meat fully cooked.

🍴 Serving Tip #

Cut the pumpkin into wedges and serve warm, with the meat spilling out from inside. A beautiful centrepiece for an autumn meal!

Let me know if you’d like image support or internal links added to other recipes like the Mediterranean Chicken Casserole or Ras el Hanout Chicken!