What to do with pie pumpkins?

[NikkiZBM]

I got 2 pie pumpkins in my CSA box and I don't know what to do with them.  I don't want to make a pie, so I'm looking for relatively easy vegetarian or vegan recipes.  Any ideas?  Thanks!

[Confuzzle]

cookies
bread
soup
muffins
casseroles

Pumpkins are in the squash family, so just about anything you can do with a large squash, you can do with a pumpkin. Just take the flavor into account and vary your seasonings accordingly.

[NikkiZBM]

Thanks.  Could you be more specific?  I've never used this type of pumpkin before...

[Confuzzle]

Well, for the baked goods, you need to cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stuff (like you would when carving one), then set it cut side down in a glass casserole and bake at 325* F for 45-50 minutes (until it's soft). Then let it cool for a couple of hours and the skin should peel right off, leaving the edible innards. This can be mashed up with a potato masher or hand mixer easily and put into the breads, muffins, cookies, and is what is used in pies.

For the soups you can either bake it and mash it until it's smooth, then add it to a base, or you can cut it into chunks (cut out the seeds and peel it as you go) and add the chunks to a fall vegetable base. For casseroles, do the cut-and-peel thing and toss it in with fall vegetables.

[NikkiZBM]

Thanks Confuzzle!  I've never cooked with pumpkins (well, besides toasting the seeds after I carve them!), so I wasn't sure how to get from here to there with the recipes!

[Confuzzle]

No problem! You can use pumpkin for any recipe that calls for the canned stuff if you bake it and mash it first. That's all that's in the cans.

[NikkiZBM]

Thanks Confuzzule!  It worked like a charm!