Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffed Pumpkin

With the nutty flavor of pepitas and tartness of cranberries this wild rice pilaf stuffed in a roasted pumpkin makes for a picture perfect side dish!

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Harvest Inspired

Inspired by the flavors of Autumn this wild rice pilaf was stuffed into a grill roasted pumpkin. With Thanksgiving around the corner this makes for the perfect side dish. It will certainly be an eye catching side on the table. The wild rice is first cooked in chicken broth scented with fresh sage, thyme and bay leaves. Tossed in browned butter pepitas, dried cranberries and smoked sea salt, this rice is bursting with all the harvest flavors. The sugar pumpkin, aka pie pumpkin, is basted with fresh minced rosemary, garlic, olive oil and sea salt then roasted on the grill. You can easily adapt it to roasting the pumpkin in the oven. Once fork tender, the rice pilaf is then stuffed into the pumpkin and served.

Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffed Pumpkin
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Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffed Pumpkin

Recipe by Christina Stawiasz @thyme.and.timberCourse: SidesDifficulty: Moderate
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • Roasted Pumpkin

  •  1 pie pumpkin

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

  • Sea Salt

  • Wild Rice Pilaf

  • 2 Tbsp butter, divided

  • 1 carrot, finely chopped

  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 cup wild rice

  • chicken broth

  • 1 stem of sage with leaves intact

  • 3-5 stems of thyme

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/4 cup pepitas

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

  • Roasted Pumpkin
  • Preheat grill to 350 degrees and prepare for indirect heat.
    Alternatively, preheat oven to 350.
  • Using a knife on an angle, remove the top of the pumpkin. Discard seeds & scrape clean.
  • Combine garlic, rosemary & olive oil and baste the inside of the pumpkin. Sprinkle with sea salt and return the top to the pumpkin.
  • Cook the pumpkin for 30-35 minutes using indirect heat and grill closed. Begin checking after 20 minutes. Carefully remove from heat when tender and stuff with wild rice pilaf.
    If using the oven also begin checking after 20 minutes.
  • Wild Rice Pilaf
  • Cook wild rice according to package directions. Sub broth for water and add bay leaf, thyme, sage, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add carrot, celery, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and wipe the pan clean.
  • Add remaining butter. Once melted, add pepitas & cranberries and sauté until pepitas are golden. Remove from heat, toss with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of smoked sea salt, depending on preference.
  • Once the rice is cooked through, remove the sage, bay leaf, and thyme stems. Combine the rice with the sautéed vegetables and pepita mixture. Save a few pepitas & cranberries for garnish, if desired,
  • Stuff the roasted pumpkin with the wild rice pilaf and return the top of the pumpkin for garnish.

    Enjoy!