Post-Halloween Pumpkin Extravaganza

Halloween is Friday.

But what do you do with all those pumpkins when the kids are done trick-or-treating?

Early Show contributor Katie Lee Joel shared ideas Monday on incorporating pumpkins into many recipes. And no, we don't mean pumpkin pie!

Among them: puree, pancakes, salad and pasta.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Making homemade pumpkin puree is easier than it sounds. Canned pumpkin is always a good substitute though. You can buy it at any market and with the economy the way it is it may be cheaper to by the can as opposed to buying a pumpkin.

1 (8 lb.) sugar pumpkin
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut top off pumpkin and reserve. Scrape out seeds (keep these for making snack mix!). Brush the inside of the pumpkin with butter. Place pumpkin in a foil-lined baking dish. Bake for 2 hours and allow to cool to touch. Pour out any extra liquid. Scoop out pulp and blend in a food processor. Chill and drain off any extra liquid before using.

Souffléd Pumpkin Pancake

I created this recipe one fall weekend morning when I was in the mood for something with pumpkin. I was almost out of flour, so pumpkin muffins were out of the question. This little experiment turned out to be fabulously light and delicious. Make one large pancake instead of many little ones, and everyone can take a bite!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pecan halves
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup buttermilk
11/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (homemade or storebought)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Confectioners' sugar
Pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Pour 3 tablespoons of the butter into a medium bowl and set aside. Add the brown sugar to the remaining butter in the skillet. Stir until the sugar begins to melt. Add the pecans and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the pecans to a small dish and set aside. Reserve the skillet for the pancake.In a small bowl mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

Add the egg yolks, buttermilk, and vanilla to the reserved melted butter and whisk until blended. Gradually whisk in the flour. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Set aside.In a very clean bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin batter. Carefully spoon the batter into the skillet. Sprinkle the top with the reserved pecans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.Dust the pancake with confectioners' sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.

Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix

Save the pumpkin seeds from your jack-o-lantern carving to make this yummy snack mix! I like to use hollowed mini-pumpkins as serving bowls for the mix during cocktail hour.

9 cups Chex cereal
1/2 cup mixed salted nuts
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup garlic-flavored bagel chips
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, combine cereal, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and bagel chips. In the microwave, melt butter with worcesteshire and seasonings. Drizzle butter mixture over cereal and toss to evenly coat cereal. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For more recipes, to to Page 2.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Slice up the pumpkins and put it in a salad -- dice it and roast it!!

3 cups sugar pumpkin, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula
2 Tablespoons pepitas (roasted and salted)
2 Tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
Parmesan shavings, for garnish
For the Vinaigrette:
1 Tablespoon shallots, minced
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses (honey can be substituted)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss pumpkin with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until fork tender. Let cool completely.Place arugula in a large salad bowl. Top with pumpkin, pepitas, and pomegranate seeds. Garnish with Parmesan shavings and serve with vinaigrette.

For vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients together until emulsified.

Rustic Pumpkin Penne Pasta

I had a pasta similar to this in Italy that was made with wild boar. I loved the rustic flavors so much that I had to recreate it at home using ingredients that were a bit easier to find -- like substituting the boar for sausage. The pumpkin ends up being used more in the rich creamy sauce! To make this lower fat, you can use whole wheat pasta and turkey sausage.

1 pound penne pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (you can use pork or turkey)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne pasta to package instructions and drain. Reserve about 1/4 cup pasta liquid.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and brown. Remove sausage from pan and drain on paper towels. Drain all but about a tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, sage, and thyme. Cook until mushrooms are soft and any liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Add stock to deglaze pan, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in pumpkin, cream, and sausage and simmer to thicken about 5 minutes. Stir in pasta. If pasta looks dry, add reserved pasta liquid. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Toffee Trifle

Trifles are a fun and easy way to make a decadent dessert. This Pumpkin Toffee Trifle is simply decadent and has all the flavors of the season. Don't waste your time putting on icing and worrying about every single detail of a big project cake. The large trifle bowl is great and easy to use. You can make the night before. The longer it sits in the fridge the better!

1 (6 ounce) box vanilla pudding mix, cooked to package instructions
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 bananas, thinly sliced
4 toffee bars, chopped
1 loaf pumpkin bread (about 3 cups), cut in cubes
4 cups whipped cream

Gently mix vanilla pudding with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar.

Into a glass trifle bowl, add one half of the pumpkin bread. Scoop in one half of the pudding, add a layer of one half of the banana and chopped toffee. Smooth on one half of the whipped cream. Repeat layers, ending with cream and toffee. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

PUMPKIN Décor

Find little pumpkins and flowers and make them into vases!