Three delicious recipes for pumpkin leftovers from Mrs Crunch that are perfect for Halloween

WITH just over a week to go until Halloween, parents across the UK will be expected to carve out an impressive Jack O’Lantern.

But that means there will be a lot of pumpkin flesh left over – and it shouldn’t go to waste.

Pumpkins are packed full of vitamins A, C and E and contain essential minerals.

You can even roast the seeds, sprinkle them with salt or sugar and enjoy them as a tasty snack.

Here are three recipes that are perfect for family meals. Enjoy.

Creamy pumpkin risotto with bacon and leeks – £3.68 per serving

SERVES FIVE. Preparation time: Five minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes. One serving contains 423 calories (21 per cent of the recommended daily intake); 14.7g fat (21 per cent); 3.1g sat fat (16 per cent); 2.6g sugar (three per cent) and 0.3g salt (12 per cent).

YOU NEED:

Leftover flesh from one pumpkin

50ml olive oil

1 leek, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 slices of bacon, chopped to 1cm pieces

210g arborio rice

950ml hot chicken broth

235ml white wine

Salt and pepper, to season

METHOD: First, make the pumpkin puree. Take the peeled flesh from one pumpkin and cut into chunks.

Place in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil.

Cook for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Mash or puree with a hand mixer. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.

Add the leeks and cook for about five minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.

Add the bacon and fry until it starts to get crispy.

Add the rice and cook, stirring for a few minutes until it is slightly toasted.

Add about 235ml of broth and cook, stirring until it has been absorbed into the rice.

Repeat this process with the remaining broth and the white wine.

Stir in the pumpkin puree and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Any leftover pumpkin puree can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for three to six months.