This, my friends, is what you call a pilgrim. That’s right — nevermind those folks who settled in Plymouth hundreds of years ago… from now on, when you see the word pilgrim, I want you to think, the most delicious holiday sandwich comprised of leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, (optional) stuffing, mayo, and a wee bit of lettuce.
In case you forgot — please, tell me you didn’t forget — Thanksgiving is faaaast approaching! I’m extra excited for Thanksgiving this year because it means I will get to go home to New York! Actually, this time next week I’ll be on my way! But anyway…
It’s been far too long since I last made a yeast bread, so I was planning to make a cinnamon swirl bread over the weekend or some other sweet bread, but then I remembered I had a can of pumpkin to use up.
Speaking of pumpkin… did you know they now make pumpkin pie vodka? I don’t even know what to say about that (except that I will buy it if I see it, I have to!)…
Anyhow, I did a little browsing of the interwebs and found a recipe for pumpkin yeast bread. Perfect! I tweaked the recipe a bit, and then made it into sandwich rolls so that I could make a pilgrim (the most delicious holiday sandwich).
Don’t let the pumpkin deceive you — these rolls aren’t much like the pumpkin pies and muffins we eat so much of this time of year. In fact, they’re just subtly sweet. But they make the perfect delivery mechanism for consuming all those Thanksgiving leftovers that you’re bound to have.
Oh, also, because I cannot keep a secret… that’s chicken in the sandwich, not turkey. How could I eat turkey leftovers before Thanksgiving?!
Move over white sandwich bread — now you can enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers on a homemade pumpkin sandwich roll! These subtly sweet sandwich rolls are perfect for post-holiday turkey sandwiches, or even as breakfast sandwiches or simply spread with butter. Adapted from King Arthur Flour. Makes 8 sandwich rolls Prep time: 2 1/2 hours Cook time: 20 minutes In a large bowl, stir the water and yeast; allow the yeast to dissolve completely (a few minutes). Add the milk, eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, and ginger; stir until mixed well (about 1 to 2 minutes). Gradually add the flour until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth. Place the kneaded dough in a bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and allow the dough to double in size (about 1 hour). Spray a surface with nonstick cooking spray; place the dough on the surface and shape the dough into 8 rolls (for each roll, form the dough into a ball, then flatten to a 4 to 5 in diameter). Cover the rolls with a towel allow them to double in size (about 1 hour). Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rolls on a nonstick baking sheet, a few inches apart. Bake 20 minutes or until the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Allow the rolls to cool before storing.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
pumpkin pie vodka! I’ve tried it!! Liz….. we mixed it with apple cider. OH MY GOODNESS it was out of this world! A little dangerous, though. But SO SO good. You have to try it! These pumpkin rolls! Yes! Perfect holders for all that leftover thanksgiving day grub.
Oh my gosh, what a good idea to mix it with apple cider! I will keep that in mind.
I’m loving these rolls, Liz! Love that you worked pumpkin into them – had I been more on the ball, I should have done this earlier in pumpkin season. But live and learn and will need to make yeasted pumpkin rolls next year. Or maybe still this year
You’ve been a human bread machine lately, I have faith you can still make a pumpkin version of your dinner roll recipe this year!
yummy!! these things look just a cute too!
i’m a huge pumpkin fan, i don’t know what it is but i have a the biggest soft spot for pumpkin pie, and i’m usually not a big pie person. 
thanks for sharing this recipe!
PS- i’m new to ur site and ADORE the personalized social media icons…way too cute
Aw, thanks Cait! And I love pumpkin pie too — it’s been my favorite pie my entire life!