Cooking with PumpkinNo. 8419 · The 2026 edition
Rosa Jackson’s Mini Pumpkins Stuffed with Onion, Mushrooms, and Chard
Mini pumpkins stuffed with a savory mushroom, onion, and chard filling make a stunning and delicious fall centerpiece.
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at thekitchn.com.
This recipe from Rosa Jackson features hollowed-out mini pumpkins or acorn squash stuffed with a rich mixture of wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, and Swiss chard, bound with crème fraîche and Comté cheese. The squash is roasted until tender, then topped with its own lid for a presentation that's both fun and elegant. It's a perfect vegetarian main dish for Halloween or Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Directions
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat your oven to 375°F.
- For mini pumpkins, slice off the tops as you would for a jack-o'-lantern. Alternatively, if using acorn squash, halve them lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and stringy fibers. Set the pumpkins or squash cut-side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish, and put the pumpkin tops beside them. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt inside each pumpkin.
- Prep the mushrooms by trimming them and cutting larger ones into bite-size pieces. Thinly slice the onion. For the chard, pull off the leaves, discard the stems, then stack the leaves, roll them tightly, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch ribbons. Pick parsley leaves until you have 1/2 cup, then chop them coarsely. Strip thyme leaves from 2 sprigs to get 1/2 teaspoon (or measure 1/4 teaspoon dried). Grate 2 ounces of Comté cheese, which should yield about 1 cup.
- Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet (at least 10 inches) over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the sliced onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then sauté until the onion becomes soft and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Move the cooked onion to a plate.
- Pour another tablespoon of olive oil into the same skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Toss in the mushrooms, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the released liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to the plate holding the onions.
- Add the final tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, then stir in the chard ribbons, chopped parsley, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 1 minute, just until the chard has wilted.
- Turn off the burner. Put the cooked mushrooms and onions back into the skillet. Sprinkle in half of the grated cheese, add the crème fraîche and pepper, then stir everything together until well mixed.
- Spoon the filling into the prepared pumpkins or squash halves. Top with the remaining grated cheese. Bake until a knife slides easily into the pumpkin or squash flesh—30 to 35 minutes for mini pumpkins, or 35 to 40 minutes for acorn squash. Just before serving, place the pumpkin lids on top (if using mini pumpkins).
