Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe

Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe – The ultimate fall comfort food.

A few weeks ago my friend Mena mentioned making a Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It just sounded like the ultimate fall comfort food. I asked her for the details however, like most of the Italian girls in my life, she gave me very vague instruction, as the very best cooks usually do. Apparently I was on my own to figure out the – down to the details – directions. Lucky for all of us, You guys, I nailed it, and I’m ready to share my recipe! Ha! This Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe makes a perfect cozy Sunday dinner, or festive holiday entrée for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The elements of your Shepherd’s Pie can be made in about 30 minutes. Therefore allowing you to do other things while baking your beautiful Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe. Your house will be filled with a brilliant aroma of savory Shepherd’s Pie and sweet baked pumpkin and apples.

Read on if you are ready to make a Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin. Be warned that you will be asked to make this delicious comfort food again! Are you looking for more ways to stuff a pumpkin? Watch our How to Make a Savory Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe Video for another delicious stuffed pumpkin recipe as well as tips on how to prepare your pumpkin for baking. How cute would it be to make one in a carved jack-o-lantern?

Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 8 reviews

This Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe makes a perfect cozy Sunday dinner, or festive holiday entré for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

• Author: Jacinda
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 90 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Entré
• Cuisine: British/American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 large or 2 small pie pumpkins

1 ½ lbs russet potatoes peeled and cut into  1-inch pieces

1 ½ lbs ground beef or lamb

1 onion minced

2 cups chopped mushrooms (optional)

salt and pepper

¼  cup flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chicken or beef broth

1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme

2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup half-and-half

2 cups frozen pea-carrot medley, thawed (optional)

2 apples and fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. Cook the potatoes – Cover potatoes with water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Prepare pumpkin – Cut top of pumpkin to create a lid, as shown in photos. Clean out seed with a spoon, scraping the insides down to the pulp. Reserve seeds to roast later. set the lid upside-down in a glass of water to soak the stem. Set pumpkin aside.

4. Cook and drain meat – While potatoes are cooking, brown meat in pan over medium heat, breaking meat up wit ha spoon, until meat is cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons fat.

5. Sauté Aromatics – Add reserved fat back to pan and heat on medium. Add onion, mushroom (optional) and ¼ teaspoon salt and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.

6. Simmer filling – Whisk in broth, thyme, Worcestershire into onion mixture, scraping pan as you go, and bring to a simmer. Return meat to pan and cook medium-low until sauce is thickened, about 6 – 8 minutes. Test for flavor and add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add peas, carrots into mixture (optional)

8. Mash potatoes – Drain potatoes, return to hot pot and mash until smooth. Stir in butter, then half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

9. Prepare pumpkin – Rub the inside of the pumpkin(s) with salt. Set each pumpkin in a small roasting pan or casserole dish. Surround pumpkin with quartered apples and rosemary. Fill pumpkins 2/3 full with meat mixture. Fill pumpkins to bottom of opening with mashed potatoes. Replace tops of the pumpkins.

10. Cook – Bake in oven for approximately 90 minutes or until pumpkin “gives” when you squeeze the sides. It may take longer than 90 minutes depending on the size of the pumpkin.

11. Broil – If you would like to brown the mashed potatoes, broiul them for 3-5 minutes with the pumpkin lid removed.

Notes

I make my version with mushrooms as the vegetable but I’ve also included instructions for traditional pea-carrot medley. Both are optional. You could also add some garlic and or nutmeg to the beef mixture or add cheddar cheese to the potatoes.

Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Ingredients:

• one large or two small pie pumpkins
• 1 ½ lbs russet potatoes peeled and cut into  1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ lbs ground beef or lamb
• one onion minced
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms (optional)
• salt and pepper
• ¼  cup flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 2 cups frozen pea-carrot medley, thawed (optional)
• 2 apples and fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)

Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Pumpkin Instructions:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• 2. Cook the potatoes – Cover potatoes with water in a large saucepan. Bring the potatoes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until they are tender, about 15 minutes.
• 3. Prepare pumpkin – Cut top of pumpkin to create a lid, as shown in photos. Clean out seed with a spoon, scraping the insides down to the pulp. Save the seeds to roast later. Set the lid upside-down in a glass of water to soak the stem. Set the pumpkin aside.

Preparing the meat mixture:

• 4. Cook and drain meat – While potatoes are cooking, brown meat in pan over medium heat, breaking meat up with a spoon, until meat is cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons fat.
• 5. Sauté Aromatics – Add reserved fat back to pan and heat on medium. Add onion, mushroom (optional) and ¼ teaspoon salt and then sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until flour is incorporated, about 1 minute.
• 6. Simmer filling – Whisk in broth, thyme, Worcestershire into onion mixture, scraping pan as you go, and bring to a simmer. Return meat to pan and cook medium-low until sauce is thickened, about 6 – 8 minutes. Test for flavor and add salt and pepper to taste.
• 7. Add peas, carrots into mixture (optional)
• 8. Mash the potatoes – Drain potatoes, return to hot pot and mash until smooth. Stir in butter, followed by half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preparing the pumpkin:

• 9. Prepare pumpkin – Rub the inside of the pumpkin(s) with salt. Set each pumpkin in a small roasting pan or casserole dish. Surround pumpkin with quartered apples and rosemary. Fill pumpkins 2/3 full with meat mixture. Fill pumpkins to bottom of opening with mashed potatoes. Replace tops of the pumpkins.
• 10. Cook – Bake in oven for approximately 90 minutes or until pumpkin “gives” when you squeeze the sides. It may take longer than 90 minutes depending on the size of the pumpkin.
• 11. Broil – If you would like to brown the mashed potatoes, broiul them for 3-5 minutes with the pumpkin lid removed.

by Jacinda