Fridge Friend Recipes
Stuffed Pumpkin with Sausage, Rice and Herbs recipe
A hearty baked pumpkin stuffed with savoury sausage, rice, onion, garlic and herbs, finished with melted cheese. A fitting Halloween dinner for a cosy UK autumn table.
85 min · Medium · British Jump to method
Ingredients
- 1 large pumpkin
- 6 pork sausages
- 200 g basmati rice
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 sticks celery
- 20 g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150 ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp chopped sage
- 1 tsp chopped thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 50 g cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
| Nutrition | Per servingEstimated |
|---|---|
| Calories | 643 kcal |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 56 g |
| Fat | 33 g |
| Saturated fat | 12 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 1080 mg |
Why this works
Hearty, energy-dense main meal with good protein but relatively high saturated fat and sodium from sausages, cheese and added salt.
Vitamin A and carotenoids. Pumpkin provides beta-carotene, which supports eye and immune health.
Protein, iron and zinc. Pork sausages contribute protein, iron and zinc, which support muscle maintenance and normal immune function.
Sodium concern. Added salt plus sausages and stock make this dish relatively high in sodium, so it may not suit a low-salt diet.
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (Fan 180°C, 392°F, Gas Mark 6). Cut a lid from the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and fibre, then brush the inside with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Trim a very thin slice off the bottom if the pumpkin wobbles, so it sits securely while you hollow it out and roast it. Leave the walls about 2–3 cm thick; if you scoop too aggressively, the shell can collapse once it softens in the oven.
- Cook the rice until just tender, then drain and set aside.
Drain the rice very well so you do not add extra water to the filling, which would make it loose and heavy. The grains should still have a slight bite at this stage, as they will finish softening inside the pumpkin.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the chopped onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
Keep the heat at medium rather than high so the onion and celery soften without browning too quickly. You are looking for the onion to turn translucent and the celery to lose its raw crunch before the garlic catches.
- Remove the sausage meat from the skins and add to the pan. Cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
Break the sausage meat up as it cooks so you do not end up with large dense lumps in the stuffing. Let the meat take on some golden colour on the edges, but avoid burning the garlic and onion underneath.
- Stir in the cooked rice, chopped sage, thyme and parsley, then add a splash of stock to bring the filling together. Season well.
Add the stock a little at a time until the mixture is moist and just holds together when stirred. If it looks wet, cook it for another minute or two to let excess liquid evaporate before stuffing.
- Spoon the mixture into the pumpkin, packing it in firmly. Put the lid back on and place the pumpkin in a roasting tin with a small splash of stock in the base.
Pack the filling down firmly with the back of a spoon so there are no air pockets, but do not crush it into a paste. Leave a small gap at the top so the rice can expand slightly as it bakes.
- Roast for 60 to 70 minutes until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a knife.
Test the pumpkin by sliding a knife through the thickest part near the base; it should meet only slight resistance, not a hard, raw centre. If the top is colouring too fast, loosely cover it with foil for the last part of the roast.
- Remove the lid, scatter over the cheddar cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes until melted and golden.
Watch for the cheese to melt into bubbling patches and take on pale golden spots at the edges, rather than letting it turn dark brown. If needed, place it on a higher shelf for the final few minutes to encourage even browning.
- Serve in wedges with some of the filling spooned out alongside.
Cut from top to bottom with a sturdy knife so each wedge keeps its shape and the filling does not spill out. Use a spoon to lift out the stuffing alongside the pumpkin flesh, as the sweet pumpkin and savoury filling work best together in the same mouthful.
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