mashed potatoes? no - it’s mashed pumpkin!
The idea is to replace cooked potatoes by cooked pumpkin (aka soft butternut pulp) and flavor the side dish with goat’s cheese, bacon and spicy onion.
ingredients:
- 1 butternut about 1400 g gross
- a splash of olive oil
- 1 red onion about 200 g
- 40 g bacon aka South-Tyrolean bacon - thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 60 g goat cheese cream cheese type
- 100 g Greek yoghurt
- pepper & salt
how to:
- Preheat the oven to 190° C w/ fan.
- Cut the butternut into halves, cut off the stems, scrape out the seeds & the mushy pulp w/ a spoon.
- Add some olive oil & rub it all over the surface.
- Place the butternut halves on a baking tray lined w/ baking parchment.
- Let it bake for about 50 min.
- In the meantime chop the onion & the bacon.
- Fry onion & bacon pieces gently in olive oil for about 15-20 min until soft (but not burnt!).
- Mix crushed goat cheese & Greek yoghurt.
- When the butternut is soft (make the famous test w/ the wooden pin!) let it cool for some minutes.
- As soon as possible spoon the soft butternut pulp in a bowl.
- Add the goat cheese yoghurt mix & mix thoroughly w/ a spoon.
- Finally add the bacon onion mix & mix thoroughly - once again w/ a spoon.
- Add salt & pepper to taste!
- Serve at once or let it rest in a casserole for reheating.
Notes
Prep Time: It’s the preparation of the butternut.
Cook Time: It’s the baking of the butternut - I assume that the chopping, frying of onion & bacon as well as the mixing of goat cheese & yoghurt is done while the butternut is roasted in the oven.
Butternut: I worked w/ a rather big butternut. If you lay hands on a smaller one (about 1000-1200 g gross) you’ll need not baking for about 50 min, but only 40 min (or even less). Best is to set your timer to 30 min & then have a look at the butternut halves & make the test w/ the wooden pin. Add 10 min if not ready, add another 10 min...
Goat cheese: I used fresh cream cheese from 100% goat milk.
Greek yoghurt: You may substitute sour cream for Greek yoghurt.
...& you may also use store bought cream cheese w/ goat milk.
Depending on the size of the butternut you should adjust... Take only about 100-120 g goat cheese yoghurt mix for a smaller butternut of about 1000 - 1200 g.
Mashed pumpkin can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just reheat it in the microwave.
Sorry: no experience w/ freezing!