<b>Pumpkin Hummus Mashed Potatoes</b> {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

I had intended to share an entirely different squashy dish with you today. It had pasta and kale and colorful Delicata half-moons. But it got moved to the back burner after I found a fun new way to use my Pumpkin Hummus!

Here's how it came about: me, two hours of "waiting room time", and a big stack of holiday food magazines. I've saved Thanksgiving issues of magazines for years. At least 15. Yes, it's my favorite holiday. Planning my Thanksgiving menu is almost as much fun as enjoying it. And you never know what will jump out at you from the pages of the past.

So, in the midst of ripping up the subscription cards to make bookmarks, I stumbled on one of those little booklets stuck in the center of a Food Network magazine. Usually I take them out, but this one got missed. It was a "50 Mashed Potatoes" version. Out of the purse came a pencil (yes, I carry a pencil around...but it's mechanical, so my purse doesn't get all marked up).

There were too many that I wanted to try for my already over-flowing brain to remember, so I started circling the numbers of the ones I thought maybe I'd make one day. Number 20 was Hummus Mashed Potatoes. I had just made Pumpkin Hummus the day before.

Oh yeah, it was happenin'. Guess what I had for dinner later that night?

Pumpkin Hummus Mashed Potatoes

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8-12 minutes

Keywords: boil side vegetarian sugar-free soy-free chickpeas potatoes pumpkin

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

2 pounds russet potatoes
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Pumpkin Hummus
kosher or sea salt
ground white pepper
freshly chopped parsley
sesame seeds

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Cover by an inch with water, and add a few big pinches of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently until just tender, 8-12 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking place the butter and milk in a small saucepan over low heat until butter has melted, and small bubbles form around the outside.

Drain potatoes and put back in the pot over the lowest heat for 1 minute, shaking once or twice; this helps steam out any excess water. Add the hot butter/milk mixture to the pan and mash the potatoes with a masher or whip them with a hand mixer. Add the hummus and blend again. Taste and add salt and white pepper as needed.

Pile into a serving bowl and scatter with a bit of parsley and some sesame seeds.

week 3: Are you ready for winter squash season? I'm so happy to be co-hosting with my friend Joanne of Eats Well with Others, again this year. We'd love it if you'd cook/bake along with us over the next 12 10 weeks. We will be sharing a new winter squash dish every Monday, but you can feel free to link up a squash dish that you've made anytime during the week, as the linky tool will be open through the end of the day on Sunday. Or, if you're a blogger, and would like to post along with us on Mondays, just let one of us know so that we can add you to the group!