Halloween Week Day 3

Good afternoon bloggers! Welcome to a brand new edition of Everyday Meals. I'm your host and recipe holder, Mandie. We are keeping with the trend of Halloween this week and what is Halloween without pumpkins? Pumpkins are gourd-like squashes that are native to North America. The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for large melon. The French then adapted this word to pompon, then the British changed the word once again to pumpion and later, American colonists finally changed the word to that of which we call it today. Did you know that the oldest evidence of pumpkin-related seeds were found in Mexico between 7000 and 5500 BC? Also, pumpkins are indeed a fruit that can range anywhere from 1 pound to anywhere over 1,000 pounds! That's amazing! Now, back on topic. Today we will be utilizing our pumpkin for a soup. Let's get in the kitchen and make something delicious!

Pumpkin and Butternut Creamed Soup

You will need:

• 6 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• 6 small sugar pumpkins, halved and seeded
• 1 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided

Let's do this!

1. Place the butternut squash cubes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. 
2. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. 
3. Drain off all the water and set the squash aside. 
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
5. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 
6. Melt the butter in a large skillet, then cook the carrots, onion, and celery until tender, about 10 minutes. 
7. Place the vegetables, cooked butternut squash, cream, and sour cream into a blender. 
8. Cover, and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. 
9. Transfer the blended vegetables to a soup pot, then stir in the chicken broth, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. 
10. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
11. While the soup is simmering, place the pumpkin halves, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until the pumpkin flesh is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. 
12. Start the broiler, and place the pumpkin halves under the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source to brown the cut side of the pumpkins, if desired. 
13. Place a pumpkin bowl into a decorate soup plate and serve the soup in the pumpkin bowls. 
14. Sprinkle each serving with Asiago cheese.
15. Enjoy!

I hope you all have a fabulous day. I sure am getting excited for the upcoming holiday! Stay tuned for more Halloween themed dinner ideas. Happy blogging to all and I'll catch you on the flip side! <3