Thanksgiving is coming up and I’m not sure if you have your menu locked and loaded already, but just in case you don’t, and you’re still struggling to finalize the dishes, I wanted to throw these Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes with Herby Croutons into the ring. It’s a festive autumnal new take on the boring ol’ mashed potatoes you’re probably used to. While the mashed potato and mashed pumpkin base is delicious, it’s really all about the topping. I could literally eat the topping by itself. Herby crispy croutons with onions, garlic and pepitas. What’s not to love? Together it’s a dish that everyone will love and might just take the spotlight on Thanksgiving.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Set over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
**Tip: I normally don’t like to peel my potatoes but honestly this one time, I prefer the mashed potatoes as smooth as possible. But if you want to keep the skin on, by all means leave them on!**
Place pumpkin in a separate large saucepan and cover with water. Set over moderate heat as well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
**Tip: Be very careful when you peel and cut the pumpkin as they can be tricky and hard to slice. This would also be great with butternut squash or sweet potatoes as well!**
Meanwhile make the topping. Set a large skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons butter. Once melted, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir in the cubed bread and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and just beginning to brown.
Add the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and fresh sage and cook for another minute or so. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Keep warm over low heat.
Drain potatoes and return to the pot to cook off the moisture. Mash potatoes, adding 1/4 cup milk, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add additional milk if needed to reach desired consistency. Keep warm over very low heat.
**Tip: You can also roast whole garlic and mash them into the potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes. Or you can add a teaspoon (or less) of granulated garlic if you prefer.**
Drain pumpkin and return to the same pot. Mash pumpkin, gradually adding the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, spices and enough remaining milk to reach desired consistency.
Layer the mashed potato and pumpkin, alternating dollops between the two, in a large serving dish or platter. Top with the herby bread mixture and serve immediately.
**Note: You can keep them separate like I did, or you can take a butter knife and swirl the two together to incorporate somewhat.**
These are best served right away, because it’s better hot. If the topping sits too long, the croutons will soften…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I prefer them crispy. If you plan on making these ahead of time, you can make the mash in advance and then rewarm. Make the topping right before serving.
If you really want to make these as hearty as possible, when you make the topping, you can start by browning 1/2 to 1lb Italian sausage first and then proceed as written. It would be delicious with sausage as well!
I really hope you’ll make this dish and that it hopefully will find a spot on your Thanksgiving table. It’s a new take on classic mashed potatoes and maybe, just maybe, you’ll love them more than the original. That’s probably pushing it, but I know you’ll like it. Trust me. Let me know what you think below. As always thank you for following along and reading.
Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes with Herby Croutons
Equipment
- Pots
- Potato masher
- skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 lbs Pie pumpkin peeled, seeded and cubed
- 1 cup whole milk divided
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
Topping:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small brown onion minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small demi-baguette cubed
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Set over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Place pumpkin in a separate large saucepan and cover with water. Set over moderate heat as well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
- Meanwhile make the topping. Set a large skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons butter. Once melted, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir in the cubed bread and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and just beginning to brown. Add the pepitas and sage and cook for another minute or so. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Keep warm.
- Drain potatoes and return to the pot to cook off the moisture. Mash potatoes, adding 1/4 cup milk, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add additional milk if needed to reach desired consistency. Keep warm over very low heat.
- Drain pumpkin and return to the same pot. Mash pumpkin, gradually adding the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, spices and enough remaining milk to reach desired consistency.
- Layer the mashed potato and pumpkin, alternating dollops between the two, in a large serving dish or platter. Top with the herby bread mixture and serve immediately. Enjoy!
