Dish Test Kitchen: Top 5 Fall Recipes Crafted with a Pumpkin Twist

Though the jack o’lanterns are slowly becoming compost, pumpkin season is not over. Pump up your fall kitchen with these unique sweet and savory nods to the season’s most popular squash. Hint: There’s not a pie in sight.

Maggie’s Kitchen-Tested Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Bisque

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
• 4 cups seasoned chicken stock (can be low sodium)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 scallions, minced, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup light cream
• 2 medium tomatoes
• Sour cream

Method:

1. Bring stock with onion and white part of scallions to a boil.
2. Simmer stock for 15 minutes, then add pumpkin. Blend well.
3. Return to a boil and simmer another 5 minutes.
4. Remove to blender and puree until smooth (please do this in small batches—bisque will be HOT).
5. Cool in a bowl, add light cream and stir.
6. Garnish with thinly sliced peeled tomato, sour cream and minced scallion.

*To peel a tomato, use a sharp knife to cut a cross through the skin on the bottom of the tomato.  Drop in a little simmering water for a few minutes, remove and easily remove the skins.

Pumpkin Apple Walnut Harvest Rice

Makes 6 cups, adapted from lunchboxbunch.com

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups cooked brown rice (try Trader Joe’s 3-Minute Frozen Brown Rice!)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 small honeycrisp apple, diced
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp parsley flakes
• 2 tbsp organic raisins (golden or purple) or dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup walnuts, unsalted (omit for a nut allergy)
• 1-3 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 1 cup warmed chickpeas for the top (optional)

Method:

1. Prepare brown rice and set aside in large mixing bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, maple syrup, cider vinegar and spices. Warm in microwave. Mix well. Add this mixture to the warm brown rice. Fold until well distributed.
3. Prepare apple and onion.
4. Fold into the rice mixture: raisins, apples, onions, walnuts (if desired), olive oil, parsley flakes and salt to taste. Top with optional warmed chickpeas, if using.
5. Serve warm or keep in warm oven until ready to serve. But do not over-heat. You want the apples and onions to still have a crispness to them when you serve.

Other optional add-ins: nutritional yeast, truffle oil, cayenne, cubes of butternut squash or sweet potato.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can of pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired (omit for a nut allergy)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugar and spices until well-blended.
3. In another bowl, mix flour & leavenings. Add to wet ingredients & mix. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
4. Use a cookie scoop or drop spoonfuls on well-greased or parchment-covered baking sheets.
5. Bake for about 11 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.

These cookies have a cake-like consistency.

Pumpkin Cobbler

This recipe was shared with me by my friend Michele MacPherson, a skillful and loving cook. It is always a crowd-pleaser and can replace traditional pumpkin pie on your holiday table!

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz. can of pumpkin
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 12-oz. can of evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped nuts (could be half walnuts, half pecans; omit for a nut allergy)

 Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix first 8 ingredients together.
3. Pour into ungreased 13″ x 9″ baking pan. This is best done if the baking pan is on, or near, the stove, as the liquid mixture will make the pan tricky to maneuver.
4. Pour yellow cake mix into a bowl and, using your hand, sprinkle over the pumpkin mixture to achieve even coverage.
5. Drizzle with melted butter.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, top with nuts (if using) and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 3-oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 8-oz. tub frozen light non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• Dash of cloves

Method:

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well-blended.
2. Stir in all remaining ingredients except whipped topping.
3. Fold in the whipped topping. Serve chilled with spiced wafers.

 

Have a favorite pumpkin recipe? Test out one of the above? Share with us in the comments!

• Pumpkin Cookies: Maggie Mitchell
• Pumpkin Bisque: Nina Lea Photography