Spiced Pumpkin Skillet Cornbread

You can’t ignore the health benefits of pumpkin. It’s why you may not want to just leave this fruit on your doorstep. Aside from the fact the vibrant orange orb is packed with beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in your body and is responsible for boosting immunity and supporting eye health, your friendly neighbourhood pumpkin also has a supersonic dose of vitamin C. It is also stocked with fiber. If you want to hear more about its weight loss benefits and how it may help lower your risk of certain cancers you can check out this CNN article.

I have to admit that I’d rather visit the dentist (um, sorry, to my beautiful dentist, Nisha) then carve one of those sugar pumpkins. They’re always so hard to cut and getting the guts out makes such a mess. I don’t even like to do it on Halloween. Although, when it comes to soup and pasta dishes, you kind of can’t replicate the flavour that comes from roasting. When I’m short on time (which is always) I use canned puree. Like here, for this recipe (and most of my baking), I like to use canned but if you have some time and a sharp knife, carve a pumpkin and roast it with some olive oil then puree it in a food processor. You won’t be disappointed.

Photo By Maya Visnyei

In the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a few more pumpkin recipes that are on our household playlist including a Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Muffin snack and a Pumpkin and Ricotta Pasta with Fresh Sage that finds its way into a bowl on your table in less than 30 minutes. However, this cornbread is super versatile. I’ve used it instead of rolls for dinner, packed it up as a snack for school, sent it alongside a thermos of soup for lunch and served it grilled with some berries and ice cream for dessert. I’ve even eaten it straight from the skillet after midnight. Never mind just make the cornbread and stop asking so many questions.