Pumpkin stuffing recipe

Smooth squash contrasts beautifully with crisp breadcrumbs in this seasonal meat-free pumpkin stuffing.

Pumpkins are not just for Halloween. They are in season from October through to December in the UK, making this stuffing recipe a delightful autumn option. The sweet, earthy squash flavour, combined with fragrant herbs, works well with poultry roasts - chicken or turkey especially. It’s even a good addition to a Christmas feast. This recipe is suitable for vegetarians. However, if you prefer something a bit meatier you can swap out the vegetable stock for chicken stock, and add a little fried, chopped bacon or sautéed sausage meat. 

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin, skin and seeds removed, diced
• 25g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped  
• 1tbsp chopped sage
• 1tbsp chopped thyme
• 75g stale bread, crusts removed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 250ml vegetable stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
2. Spread out the diced pumpkin onto a lightly greased baking tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the red onion, celery and herbs and allow to cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft, stirring frequently.
4. Crumble the stale bread into a large mixing bowl, add the onion mixture, egg,  roasted pumpkin, stock and seasoning. Stir thoroughly to combine.
5. Transfer the stuffing to an oven-proof dish and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
6. Slice into wedges and serve.

Top tips for making pumpkin stuffing

If your bread isn’t stale enough to crumble easily by hand, you can make the breadcrumbs in a food processor. For a step-by-step guide, check out our how to make breadcrumbs guide.

You can use butternut instead of pumpkin in this recipe, or mix the two together. After squash season try it with celeriac, which is also great with chicken, or sweet potato, which is especially good with vegetarian or salmon roasts.

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