These Stuffed Pumpkins are such a fun & delicious meal to make for a fall dinner party or if you're looking for something different to make for Thanksgiving! The umami stuffing with mushrooms, ground beef, and rice comes together in the skillet while the pumpkins bake in the oven. Top everything with parmesan cheese and enjoy. 😊
As a dietitian, I am ALL about helping you get healthy, balanced meals on the table. Bonus points when they use seasonal ingredients, and extra bonus points when they have a presentation and beautiful as this roasted stuffed pumpkin recipe! It looks like you spent hours slaving in the kitchen when you put these on a serving platter the center of the table. But in reality, the whole thing comes together in under an hour.
It's comfort food you can serve for a unique Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner and I hope it becomes a family favorite for you during pumpkin season!
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
- Turkey Pumpkin Skillet with White Beans
- Creamy Pumpkin Chili
- Creamiest Ever Pumpkin Hummus
- Easy Banana Pumpkin Muffins
- Healthy Banana & Pumpkin Bread with Oat Flour
- Pumpkin Energy Balls
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding with Greek Yogurt
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
More Healthy Fall Recipes
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi, Veggies & Chicken Sage Meatballs
- Fall Harvest Pasta Salad
- Sheet Pan Fall Roasted Vegetables
- Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
- Kale Harvest Salad with Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Cauliflower & Carrot Bowl with Chickpeas
- Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Whipped Ricotta & Pecans
- One Pot Pumpkin Chili
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crust
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
This Stuffed Pumpkin recipe is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card for the measurements.
- Pumpkins - for this recipe, you'll use pie pumpkins which are also called sugar pumpkins or sugar pie pumpkins. They are mini pumpkins perfect for roasting and often used to make pumpkin pie. If you can't find small pumpkin at your grocery store or farmer's market, butternut squash, acorn squash, honeynut squash, delicata squash, or kabocha squash will work.
- Ground Beef - I use 93% lean ground beef for this recipe. If you don't eat beef, ground turkey or ground chicken work great. I've made it with ground turkey multiple times!
- Mushrooms - mushrooms add umami flavor and are an easy way to get more veggies and bulk up the meat mixture. There are so many different kinds of mushrooms! I use baby bella mushrooms for this recipe. But you can use portobello mushrooms, cremini mushrooms or even a mix of mushrooms.
- Spinach - spinach adds more nutrients and color. It provides dietary fiber for a healthy gut, vitamin K, and antioxidants. I use baby spinach for this recipe. You can use fresh spinach or frozen. If using frozen, add it a couple of minutes before the recipe calls for to let it thaw and heat.
- Yellow Onion & Garlic - for more flavor, add yellow onion or shallots and a few cloves of garlic. You can use onion powder and garlic powder instead if it's what you have available.
- Fresh thyme & Dried Oregano - fresh thyme adds a really nice flavor here and has such a fragrant smell. I use dried oregano for even more flavor. You can substitute the fresh thyme for dried thyme and the dried oregano for fresh depending on what you have.
- Worchestershire Sauce - this is optional to add even more umami flavor to the meat.
- White Rice - I use long-grain white rice for this recipe. Rice cooks relatively quickly and provides carbohydrates which are an important energy source for your brain and body.
- Chicken Broth - added to cook the rice mixture and add more flavor. You can replace the chicken broth with chicken stock, vegetable broth or vegetable stock.
- Parmesan Cheese - grated parmesan cheese adds tons of flavor. If you can, get a block of parmesan and grate it yourself.
- Greek Yogurt - greek yogurt is added at the end to make it creamy without adding as many calories and saturated fats as heavy cream. You can certainly use heavy cream if you prefer! Other substitutions would be sour cream or cream cheese. You can even leave it out altogether - it still tastes great.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - or avocado oil to cook the beef in.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper - to tie everything together.
- Optional: Lemon - fresh lemon juice brightens up the recipe at the end and also provides some vitamin C. If you want to take it up a notch, add lemon zest right before serving!
How to Make Stuffed Pumpkins
Below are the directions for how to make this recipe with photos that I hope are helpful. Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C): Line a baking sheet with parchment paper sprayed with an olive oil spray. Carefully cut the top of the pumpkin off with a very sturdy knife. Save the pumpkin lid and scoop out the pumpkin seeds and stringy flesh of the pumpkin with a large spoon. Coat the hollowed-out pumpkin flesh on the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Rub the oil and salt & pepper into the pumpkin flesh and place them on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until fork tender.
- Step 2: While the pumpkin is roasting, make the filling mixture. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and finely chop the mushrooms or pulse them a few times in a food processor. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Once oil is heated, add the onions and saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon or a masher. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, thyme, oregano, kosher salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, ~5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4: Add the chopped mushrooms. Cook an additional 2-3 min.
Step 5: Add the rice and chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil then low heat, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
Step 6: Remove from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt, spinach and half the parmesan cheese. Stir until the spinach wilts. Add a squeeze of lemon (optional).
Step 7: Once the pumpkins are done roasting, fill them with the cooked rice stuffing and top with a little more parmesan.
Step 8: Bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve the stuffed baked pumpkin with the pumpkin top at a 45-degree angle on top of the stuffing.
Hint: don't toss the pumpkin seeds! Put them to good use by roasting them. 🙂
Dietitian Tip
Pumpkin is a nutritious ingredient and contains several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants! It's contains vitamin A, antioxidants, and dietary fiber for a healthy gut. Don't be intimidated by it...it's just as easy as any other squash to roast!
Video of How to Make Stuffed Pumpkins
Here's a video showing how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
The best part about these stuffed pumpkins is you can customize them! Below are some suggestions, but feel free to get creative:
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes to add a kick.
- Sweet - add cinnamon and a pinch of maple syrup if you want the stuffed to have a hint of sweetness.
- Tomato - add tomato sauce to the stuffing mix for even more flavor.
Equipment
You'll need a good nonstick pan for these stuffed pumpkins. I use my Caraway skillet which is a non-toxic PFOA and PTFE-free saute pan.
Meal Prep and Storage for Stuffed Pumpkin
- Meal Prep - prep ahead of time by chopping your mushrooms and onion in advance.
- Refrigerator - if making this in advance of serving, wait to stuff the pumpkins right before serving. Store leftovers in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Tips
- Use a big spoon to scoop out the insides of the pumpkin!
- The pumpkin is done roasting when it's fork tender.
- Chop the mushroom into very small pieces so it blends in with the ground beef. You can do this by pulsing it in a food processor if you don't want to chop it by hand.
- Once the mixture is done simmering, remove the lid and add more broth if it's too dry.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, these stuffed pumpkins are a nutrient-rich option. The pumpkins provide important nutrients including fiber, vitamins C & A and antioxidants. The ground beef provides protein and iron. And the mushrooms add B vitamins, potassium, and phosphorus. The rice adds carbohydrates to balance out the meal!
Absolutely! Some suggestions are acorn squash, honeynut squash, or even serving this mixture over spaghetti squash that has been cooked and removed from the skins.
I use the smallest pie pumpkins I can find at my local grocery store! You could serve it family style out of a large pumpkin instead if you prefer.
For sure! I've made this recipe using ground turkey and it's great. Ground chicken or Italian sausage would work here too!
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Stuffed Pumpkins:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG:@mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Stuffed Pumpkin with Ground Beef, Mushrooms & Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 small pie pumpkins
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (+ more for roasting pumpkins)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 pint mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup white rice
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 cup spinach
- squeeze lemon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (+ more for roasting pumpkin)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (+more for roasting pumpkin)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200°C): Line a baking sheet with parchment paper sprayed with an olive oil spray. Carefully cut the top of the pumpkin off with a very sturdy knife. Save the pumpkin lid and scoop out the pumpkin seeds and stringy flesh of the pumpkin with a large spoon. Coat the hollowed-out pumpkin flesh on the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Rub the oil and salt & pepper into the pumpkin flesh and place them on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until fork tender.
- While the pumpkin is roasting, make the filling mixture. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and finely chop the mushrooms or pulse them a few times in a food processor. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Once oil is heated, add the onions and saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon or a masher. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, thyme, oregano, kosher salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, ~5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chopped mushrooms. Cook an additional 2-3 min.
- Add the rice and chicken broth. Bring everything to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the rice is cooked.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt, spinach, and half the parmesan cheese. Stir until the spinach wilts. Add a squeeze of lemon (optional)
- Once the pumpkins are done roasting, fill them with the rice stuffing and top with remaining parmesan.
- Bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve the stuffed baked pumpkin with the pumpkin top at a 45-degree angle on top of the stuffing.
Video
Notes
- Use a big spoon to scoop out the insides of the pumpkin!
- The pumpkin is done roasting when it's fork tender.
- Chop the mushroom into very small pieces so it blends in with the ground beef. You can do this by pulsing it in a food processor if you don't want to chop it by hand.
- Once the mixture is done simmering, remove the lid and add more broth if it's too dry.
- Meal Prep - prep ahead of time by chopping your mushrooms and onion in advance.
- Refrigerator - if making this in advance of serving, wait to stuff the pumpkins right before serving. Store leftovers in separate airtight containers for up to 3-4 days.
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