Fall is so here! I’m ready for all pumpkin, all the time! While there is room in my heart for a PSL (what hot-blooded millennial could say no to a PSL on a crisp October day?!), this time of year I love to get into the kitchen and cook all of my favorite pumpkin recipes. Not only does it make the house smell exactly the way I want to smell this time of year, my kids usually gobble up anything pumpkin-y and Halloween-vibed.
There are a few sweet pumpkin recipes I love to make, like pumpkin pancakes (my kids FAVORITE October treat), I especially love to use pumpkin in savory recipes, like soups and chili! After all, it’s just a squash and can be used in all the ways other squash can (even quesadillas!). You could even pull a few of these pumpkin recipes and make a whole pumpkin dinner party menu! When you carve pumpkins (pro tip: Don’t carve them too early, or they will be mold-o-lanterns by Oct. 31st!), save the seeds! Then use my recipe to make the most delicious, most waste-saving pumpkin snack of all.
While some of these pumpkin recipes use canned pumpkin, which is SO easy (yay!), some of these recipes do use fresh pumpkin! However, the decorative pumpkins that we carve are NOT the same as the type of pumpkin you use to cook with! For cooking, you want culinary pumpkins, which are also called sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins. The skin is thin enough to peel off with a vegetable peeler. Simply cut a little bit off the top and bottom ends of the pumpkin, so that you have a good flat surface to rest the gourd on, and then peel the skin off before chopping.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
This is the coziest recipe I know. Simple, soothing and so healthy, I make it on repeat in October.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Ok if you want to feel like THAT mom, who nails all the seasonal vibes for their kids, whip these up for breakfast one morning in October and bask in the praise your kids heap on you.
Slow Cooker Chicken Pumpkin Curry
Set-it-and-forget-it is necessary for this busy time of year, when I am still adjusting to back-to-school routines! Recipes like this chicken pumpkin curry save me on busy weeknights.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
I think it’s really fun to use all those pumpkin seeds leftover from carving (I hate food waste!) and bonus, these are healthy and yummy, too.
Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Hearty and satisfying, this recipe features chipotle chilies and ground turkey for a Southwest-vibe and all around deliciousness. Pair with avocado and sour cream!
Pumpkin Pie
I am always too full on Thanksgiving to really enjoy pumpkin pie, so I like to make one in October that I can truly enjoy. I like to eat it for breakfast because it’s SO good with coffee.
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Super easy, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian, and it can be made a day or two ahead of time, this ginger-y, curry-spiked pumpkin soup is my new go-to for casual fall dinner parties.
