Pumpkins are good for much more than just carving up in creative ways to display on your porch or window. I asked some local chefs for a few of their favorite kid-friendly pumpkin recipes. You may want to pick up a few extra pumpkins if you haven’t already gone to the pumpkin patch. Not only can you enjoy your spooky or funny jack-o-lanterns’ faces, you can enjoy some tasty dishes, too!

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
From Chef Chris Douglass at Ashmont Grill

Ingredients:
2 medium pie pumpkins (about 10 lbs)
2 medium onions, diced to ½ inch
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c white wine (you can omit this if you like, but it cooks down)
1 large sweet potato/yam, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
½ c unsalted butter
2 T maple syrup
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast (cut side down) on a greased baking sheet until completely tender (45–60 minutes). Let pumpkin cool, then scoop flesh into a bowl.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, sauté onions and garlic in the butter over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and translucent (5–6 minutes).

Add the white wine and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the potatoes, and enough water to just cover them. Boil until the potatoes are very soft.

Add the reserved pumpkin and enough additional water to cover the vegetables by about an inch, bring to a simmer, add the maple syrup.

Remove from heat and puree with a stick blender or food processor, in batches if necessary. Correct the consistency by whisking in additional water, then season with salt to taste. 

Pumpkin Milkshake
From Jason Santos at Blue Inc.

Ingredients:
½ c milk
3 T canned pumpkin
? teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
1½ c favorite vanilla ice cream
Garnish: sweetened whipped cream, cinnamon 

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Garnish with whipped cream and grated cinnamon.
Makes one milkshake.

Pumpkin Indian Pudding
From Brian Mercury, Pastry Chef at Harvest

Ingredients:
8½ oz butter, soft
9½ oz brown sugar
5 eggs
1 quart pumpkin puree
1 c cake flour
5 T cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1 T heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the eggs and pumpkin puree.

Mix in flour, cornmeal, and spices, then mix in heavy cream.

Scoop batter into a baking dish (about ¾ full) and bake on a sheet pan filled with a little water for 30–40 minutes.

Carefully remove from oven as water will be hot. Discard water.

Serve warm or cool slightly, with vanilla ice cream.

Serves eight.

Pumpkin Pizza
From Jennifer Normant at Kings Lynnfield 

Ingredients:
1 c pumpkin purée
3 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz pizza dough
3 T granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg 
1 c thinly sliced green apple
Caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Mix the pumpkin purée, cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of sugar together in a bowl until smooth, then spread over the pizza dough.

Combine 1 tablespoon of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together, toss the apples in the mixture, then place the apples on top of the pizza.

Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes or until crust turns light brown.

If desired, drizzle caramel sauce on top.