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How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin

It couldn’t be easier: here’s how to cook a whole pumpkin. No prep. Just pop in the oven. Then fill with soup, cheesy strata or warm apple bread pudding.

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin | @TspCurry

We share kitchen shortcuts and tricks on how to cook more healthfully and deliciously in the kitchen. Teaspoonofspice.com

It’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks day – the day we share our favorite time-saving kitchen tricks and cooking shortcuts to help you make healthy and delicious meals.

You can see all our Healthy Kitchen Hacks here. To get exclusive healthy kitchen hacks – only available to our email subscribers – sign up HERE.

Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin

What do you think might happen if you popped a whole pumpkin – stem and all – into the oven? An explosion of pumpkin seeds all over your oven? That’s what I thought. But I was willing to give it a try, in the name of kitchen research of course.

Guess what? After only about an hour, my cute little 6-inch sugar pumpkin emerged from the oven beautifully. It was shiny and soft (but not sunken in). The seeds were much actually easier to remove after being cooked. And I’ve discovered…

Cheesy gratin - Like this Whole Pumpkin Cheddar Gratin | @TspCurry

Pumpkins are the perfect vessel in which to serve:

Cheesy gratin - Like this Whole Pumpkin Cheddar Gratin | @TspCurry

Here are the easy steps:

1. Place the whole pumpkin on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil.

Once the baking sheet is in the oven, pour 2 cups of water onto the sheet. You can cook two 6-inch pumpkins on one baking sheet. One 6-inch pumpkin holds enough soup or strata for about four servings.  Serve soup or cheesy strata in a whole pumpkin! How To Cook A Whole Pumpkin #HealthyKitchenHacks via @TspCurry Click To Tweet

2. Bake in a 375°F oven for 1 hour. (It’s done when a knife slips in easily.) Cool slightly.

3. Slice off the top. Scoop out the seeds and make Easy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds in 15 Minutes.

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin | @TspCurry

Keep pumpkin warm in an oven set to about 200°F. Or microwave briefly before filling with warm soup or veggies.

4. Fill with your favorite soup, strata or bread pudding – and make everyone smile big pumpkin grins. (:

If you bake pumpkins ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to serve. On the day of serving, fill the cold pumpkin with roasted veggies, gratin, or bread pudding. Cover pumpkin opening with foil.

  • If cold pumpkin is filled with warm filling, bake for about 20-25 minutes in a 350°F oven to warm throughout.
  • If cold pumpkin is filled with cold filling, bake for about 35-45 minutes in a 350°F oven to warm throughout.

How to Cook a Whole Pumpkin | @TspCurry

Have you ever thrown a whole squash or pumpkin in the oven, stem and all? What will you fill your cooked pumpkin with?

Throw the whole pumpkin in the oven - stem and all! It's easy and a fun bowl for pumpkin soup, cheesy bread pudding and more: HOW TO COOK A WHOLE PUMPKIN | @TspCurry - More #HealthyKitchenHacks at Teaspoonofspice.com

mangafox

Wednesday 4th of April 2018

Can’t wait to make this. My family will love this.

Sheila

Monday 4th of December 2017

This healthy kitchen hack is brilliant and beautiful. I love the presentation. I can't wait to try this and hopefully, it works out. Wish me luck.

Serena Ball

Tuesday 5th of December 2017

Wow, thanks Sheila. (: Even though some have moved on from 'pumpkin season,' I haven't! I still have 2 beauties on my counter. One waiting to be made into Cheesy Strata, one into pie!

Brittany Poulson

Tuesday 24th of October 2017

We grew a bunch of Dickinson Squash in our garden this year, which is the variety used by Libby’s for their canned pumpkin. I decided to try roasting the whole thing yesterday, and it turned out great! Mine was fairly large and took about 3 hours. Then, instead of serving anything in it I cut the peel off and puréed the pumpkin. It was so easy this way! I reserved the seeds and am planning on roasting them today! Thanks for sharing this Healthy kitchen hack!

Serena Ball

Tuesday 24th of October 2017

Brittany! Thank YOU for sharing this. I'm totally going to look up what a Dickinson Squash is...and order seeds for next year. Thanks for taking the time to explain your new Healthy Kitchen hack. So glad it worked out!

Diego Lopes

Monday 16th of October 2017

Thank you for sharing these tips with us! I've always wanted to cook a pumpkin myself but I never knew how to start. Now I do!

Serena Ball

Thursday 19th of October 2017

Glad to help out Diego. (:

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