An easy pumpkin bake with creamy coconut milk and bacon in one dish. Seasoned with spices and fresh thyme is easy and quick to make and best to be served as a side dish for dinner.
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INGREDIENTS
1poundpumpkin, cut into not less than ½ inch strips
8stripsbacon
½cupfeta cheese
10or more green or black olives, pitted, cut in half
4-6sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1-2tablespoonof olive oil for cooking
½teaspoonsmoked paprika
½teaspoondried thyme
¼teaspoonground cumin
½cupcoconut milk
INSTRUCTIONS
In a larger bowl or baking dish toss pumpkin strips with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste (or mix olive oil with salt and pepper separately and brush each pumpkin layer with it).
Arrange the pumpkin in one layer in a baking dish 9x13 or slightly smaller (I used 12 x 7 inches dish). Follow with a layer of bacon covering the pumpkin layer. Repeat 1 time and finish with a one more layer of pumpkin strips. Set aside.
In a medium-sized saucepot add coconut milk and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes over low-medium heat, enough for the spices to open and be fragrant.
Pour over the pumpkin and bacon layers.
Add feta cheese and olives all over the sauce and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
Bake at 425 F for 25-35 minutes.
Once pumpkin bake is done, remove the thyme sprigs and add a fresh one instead when serving.
Enjoy as a side dish or as a main course along with a fresh salad.
VIDEO
NOTES
Feta cheese, feel free to increase to ¾ cup if you love the flavor. Alternatively, you can use other ypes of cheese such as grated Mozzarella.
Bacon - you can use either slightly cooked and crisped bacon strips or raw as I used. The flavor and texture will be different but it is a personal preference how you’d like this.
Pumpkin - the strips shouldn’t be too thin otherwise you’ll end up with a very mushy texture. Aim for no less than ½ inch thick slices, can be more too but the baking time will need to be adjusted. Make sure to check the pumpkin along the way until it's fork-tender.
Seasonings - Be careful with salt and pepper when seasoning pumpkin as the feta cheese, bacon, and olives contain salt already. If in doubt, add less and season later when serving.
Coconut milk - heavy cream (36%) can be used instead if you prefer it over coconut milk.
Casserole size - I used a casserole dish 12 x 7 inches but can be done in a larger 9 x 13 dish. In this case, may need a few more strips of pumpkin and bacon.