Sausage and Mushroom Pumpkin Risotto

Every year, I like to share a few Thanksgiving inspired recipes on the blog. Some dishes that hopefully will spark your interest and just might make it to your holiday tables. Of course, we are in pumpkin season and no autumn blog post would be complete without some gourd love. I’m more of a savory pumpkin fan myself, and so this time around I’m bringing you this Sausage and Mushroom Pumpkin Risotto. It’s creamy, slightly spicy, and super delicious. The hint of sweetness from the pumpkin really helps round out the flavors in this dish nicely. It would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table. And if you’re looking for more inspiration, last year’s pumpkin grits or pumpkin mashed potatoes would also be great holiday contenders.

Pour the chicken stock and pumpkin purée into a saucepan. Stir until smooth and then place over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and keep warm.

Set a large pot or dutch oven over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle in the olive oil and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage. Cook until browned and slightly crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage onto a plate.

**Tip: I used hot Italian sausage for this but you can swap it out for chicken or turkey sausage or even ground pork. Or if you’d like, omit it all together to keep things vegetarian. Just use veggie stock instead of chicken!**

Add in the sliced mushrooms and thyme leaves. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have browned. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for a few minutes longer.

Add the rice and cook a bit to develop the flavor. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up the bottom to release all of those bits and pieces.

**Tip: When it comes to cooking wine, I always suggest to pick something that you’d like to drink yourself. If you cook with a wine you don’t like the tase of, then your food will have that taste as well. Something on the cheaper side will do fine. No need to break the bank on wine to cook with.**

Stir in a ladleful of the warmed pumpkin stock and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has just about evaporated. Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, cooking until evaporated. Do this until all of the stock has been used up and the rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

**Tip: The trick with risotto is to not rush it. Don’t add too much liquid all at once. And you want to make sure you constantly keep it moving. Get it stirring every month in a while.**

Once done, return the sausage to the pot, along with the butter, parmesan, parsley, and sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The butter and cheese at the end is what really ensures that you get an extra creamy risotto. A lot of people think risotto has cream in it but in reality, that texture comes from the starch from the rice…and the finishing off with butter and a bit of cheese.

I like to serve this with a but more parmesan on top for garnish and some fresh parsley for color. Don’t underestimate the ability that fresh herbs have on finishing a dish, especially when the food is all brown or beige.

This would be great as a side dish (add it to your Thanksgiving menu) but would also shine all on its own. I can’t recommend it enough, especially during this time of year.

Let me know what you think below, and as always thank you so much for reading and following along. I can’t thank you enough for your continued support. If you give this or any other recipe a try, I’d love to hear about it. Or even see a photo. Tag me on instagram (@jonjon33) and I can reshare it!