Savory Pumpkin Casserole Recipe with Herbs (2024)

FAQs

Which herbs go well with pumpkin? ›

To complement pumpkin with sweet flavor pairings, consider using spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, or sweet ingredients like chocolate, maple, honey, cranberries or brown sugar. Create savory dishes by pairing pumpkin with spices like chilies, cajun, cayenne or pepper.

Is canned pumpkin cooked? Yes, it's already been cooked via steaming. It's safe to eat canned pumpkin straight from the can, but it's infinitely better baked into a pan of pumpkin bars.

Some spices that are savory are: Allspice, anise, basil, oregano, dill, coriander, black pepper, mustard, celery seed, rosemary, red pepper/cyan, garlic, onion, and paprika just to name a few.

Umami is described by Marcia Pelchat, a sensory psychologist at Monell Chemical Senses Center in a San Francisco Chronicle article as “that meaty, mouthfilling, savory sensation.” As with the other four tastes, it is difficult to describe umami without identifying representative umami foods.

Techniques such as roasting or grilling can enhance an ingredient's umami flavor; additions to a recipe such as tomato paste or anchovies help boost umami at the start of cooking. In Israel's opinion, it's easy to add umami to most dishes.

For cooking, you'll want to use sugar pumpkins (also called pie or sweet pumpkins), which are small and round. Long Island Cheese pumpkins, which are more oblong and can look like a wheel of cheese, are also good to eat. Field pumpkin types are larger, have watery, stringy flesh, and are best for decorating.

What does cinnamon do for pumpkins? ›

Covering the inside of your pumpkin with cinnamon can help inhibit mold growth. The ingredients that make the spice flammable, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, also have antifungal and antibacterial properties that prevent mold and bacteria growth. Cinnamon is also a great pest repellent, as bugs can't stand the scent.

Milk has calcium in it, pumpkins like calcium as it allows them to uptake various nutrients. Maybe that's where the connection is for people. Good well rounded article, pointing out the potential benefits and the downsides to feeding with milk, and gives a guide to doing this if you want to try it.

*Draining the pumpkin puree is optional, for those cooks who want the most perfect, persnickety puree. I've skipped this step for over a decade and still had great baking/cooking results using homemade puree. But for you perfectionists, give it a shot and tell me what you think.

Canned pumpkin (labeled as "100% pure pumpkin") is a purée of pumpkin that is sometimes mixed with other kinds of winter squash. It is unsweetened and does not contain any added spices. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks.

Due to its high soluble fiber content, pumpkin is very good for your dog's digestion. If you feed your dog some pumpkin, it will add bulk to their stool. This helps reduce issues with diarrhea. In addition, fermentation of the same fiber produces beneficial fatty acids that supply energy to cells.

Companion planting pumpkins with heat-tolerant, pollinator-attracting neighbors can help them manage. Aromatic herbs like oregano, chives, chamomile, marjoram, tansy, and hyssop.

Pumpkin Pie and 20-Year Tawny Port

When it comes to pumpkin pie pairings, after-dinner coffee is no match for a quality port. This pie begs for more sweetness. Enter Tawny Port.

While you might be tempted to grow pumpkins with other cucurbit vegetables, such as cucumbers, squash, and zucchini, this isn't a good idea. These plants are all heavy feeders competing for soil nutrients and space, and they're prone to the same pests, like squash bugs.

Pumpkin Growing Companions

Plants may be classified as good companions in the garden if they attract beneficial insects like pollinators into the area. Certain herbs and flowers attract beneficial insects such as: Thyme.