Ground Turkey & Brown Butter Sage Stuffed Pumpkins
A savory, hearty, and elegant main course featuring roasted sugar pumpkins filled with ground turkey, sautéed vegetables, bread cubes, and Gruyère cheese — all brought together with nutty brown butter and sage. The ultimate fall dinner party or Thanksgiving centerpiece!
Equipment
- Large baking sheet for roasting pumpkins
- Sharp Knife to cut pumpkin tops
- Large skillet or sauté pan for stuffing
- Large mixing bowl to combine stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 small sugar pumpkins (about 2 lbs each)
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- 3 ½ cups stale French baguette cubes (½-inch)
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
- to taste Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice tops off pumpkins and scoop out seeds and stringy bits.
- Rub insides and lids with 2 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for ~35 minutes until tender.
- In a skillet, heat remaining 3 tbsp olive oil over medium-low. Sauté carrots, onion, and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Add ground turkey, season, and cook until browned through. Set aside.
- Lower oven to 350°F (180°C). In the same skillet, melt butter over medium-low. Add sage and cook ~4 minutes until nutty and golden brown.
- In a large bowl, combine turkey-vegetable mix with bread cubes. Add brown butter sage sauce and chicken stock; toss to coat. Stir in 1 cup Gruyère cheese.
- Stuff roasted pumpkins with mixture, packing well. Top each with remaining ½ cup Gruyère. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve hot with pumpkin lids propped against the sides for presentation.
Notes
Use small sugar or pie pumpkins — they are sweeter and more tender than carving pumpkins. Don’t skip the brown butter sage sauce — it’s the key to deep, nutty flavor!