Hearty and mouth-watering dinners with pumpkin: quick recipes with minced meat and chicken

Autumn is the perfect time to prepare hearty and healthy pumpkin dinners. This versatile vegetable is not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but also perfectly combined with chicken, minced meat and other types of meat. Choosing the right fruit and simple cooking techniques will help you quickly prepare delicious dishes that will delight the whole family. The Izvestia article contains tips on choosing pumpkins and two proven recipes for dinner that are easy to repeat at home.

How to choose a pumpkin for a quick dinner

When choosing a pumpkin for cooking dinner, you should pay attention to several factors. First, the fruit should be heavy for its size, with a firm and smooth skin without damage. The color of the peel depends on the variety, but it should be rich and uniform. When tapping on the pumpkin, a dull sound should be heard, which indicates the maturity of the fruit.

Pumpkin is a storehouse of useful substances. It is rich in vitamins A, C, E, group B, as well as minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. The beta-carotene found in pumpkin is converted into vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining healthy eyes, immune system, and skin. Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system, and fiber helps to normalize digestion.

Pumpkin is also a low-calorie product, which makes it an ideal choice for those who monitor their weight.

In cooking, pumpkin goes well with various types of meat. Chicken, due to its neutral taste, harmoniously complements the sweet pumpkin, creating a balanced dish. Minced meat, whether pork, beef or mixed, gives meat dishes with pumpkin a rich taste and juiciness. Pumpkin also goes well with lamb, pork and beef, allowing you to create a variety of stews and casseroles.

A recipe for a quick dinner with chicken and pumpkin

One of the popular ways to cook pumpkin with chicken is casserole. For this dish, take 500 g of chicken fillet, 300 g of pumpkin, one onion, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt, pepper to taste and herbs to serve.

The chicken is diced, the pumpkin is sliced, and the onion is chopped. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, fry the onion until golden brown, then add the chicken and cook until fully cooked. After that, pumpkin is added to the meat, salted, peppered and stewed over medium heat until the vegetables are soft.

The finished dish is served hot, sprinkled with fresh herbs, which gives it flavor and freshness. Such a dinner turns out to be satisfying, easy and quickly prepared, while remaining very tasty.

Quick dinners with minced meat and pumpkin

Pumpkin with minced meat is another simple and quick dinner option that is perfect for weekdays. For one of the options, take 250 g of minced meat, 200 g of pumpkin, one onion, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste.

The onion is chopped and fried in a frying pan until transparent, then the minced meat is added and fried until tender. Diced pumpkin is added to the meat, salted, peppered and stewed until the vegetables are soft. The dish is served hot, sprinkled with fresh herbs if desired.

Another option is a casserole with pumpkin and minced meat. For its preparation, 500 g of minced meat, 300 g of pumpkin, one onion and 2 tablespoons of oil are used. Onions are chopped and fried until golden brown, then minced meat is added and cooked until tender.

The pumpkin is sliced and placed in a casserole dish, the meat and onions are distributed on top, salted, peppered and put in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked. This casserole turns out to be satisfying, flavorful and perfect for a quick dinner for the whole family.