Things That Boil: Pumpkin, Squash, Potato and Turnip

This post is dedicated to all things savory that you boil to initially cook. It will focus on the items on my pre-Thanksgiving list that I did this too, but it can be done with pretty much anything. This consists of the pumpkin soup, baked squash, mashed potatoes and turnip. The key is to boil whatever you are cooking in chicken broth instead of water. This is a little more pricey than using water, but the flavor is so much better (you can use half water, half chicken broth if you don't want to use a ton of chicken broth).

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter 
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium pumpkin, cut into 1/2 size cubes, with the seeds and skin removed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and saute until slightly browned. Add the pumpkin and enough chicken broth to cover the pumpkin. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender, 10-15 min. Using an immersion blender, or carefully using a regular blender, blend the pumpkin and onion mixture until smooth. Add the half and half and salt and pepper to taste and mix until combined. Serve hot and Enjoy!


Baked Squash

This is a recipe I modified from Wilson Farm. It calls for chestnuts but I have yet to find chestnuts when I want chestnuts. Despite this, this recipe is excellent!

Ingredients

• 1 Turban squash, quartered 
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free bread crumbs
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 1 1/2 sticks butter (1/2 stick melted)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• salt and pepper

Turban squash has a very hard shell so to get the meat out, steam the squash until you can pop off the shell. Dice the meat and boil in chicken broth until tender. Mash with the sugar, cinnamon, 1/2  stick of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a saute pan, heat 1/2 a stick of butter. Add the onions and cook until golden brown, 5-10 min. Season with salt and pepper. Mix onions with squash. In another bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, sage, melted butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Put squash mixture in a baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake until hot and golden brown, about 15-20 min. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs red potatoes, diced with skin on
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes in the chicken broth until tender. Drain. Mash until desired smoothness. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Blend with the potatoes. Add the sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Blend together and Enjoy!

Turnip

This tends to be a dish that people either love or hate. I grew up with it and really love it. I will admit that it can be bitter, but that is where the chicken broth really makes a difference.

Ingredients

• 1medium turnip, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper

Boil the turnip in the chicken broth until the turnip is tender 15-20 min. Drain. Mash with the butter and add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!