Stuffed Pumpkin

     This is the MOST AMAZING dish!  It may be the ultimate comfort food.  It also looks really cool.  I cannot wait to make it again and experiment a bit more with the ingredients.

     The challenge was the Red Kuri pumpkin that came in a recent CSA shipment.  Actually, we received two small pumpkins.  I really didn't want to make soup.  I feel that I make soup too often and that sometimes, it is just an easy way to use up veggies.

     I am a big fan of Dorie Greenspan.  She spends a lot of time in France, which is probably why I follow her.  I came across this recipe on her website and I knew it would be the perfect solution to my pumpkin challenge.

     The one thing to know off the bat is that the measurements are not very precise.  Ultimately, you want to stuff the pumpkin well.  Use one pumpkin or use several smaller pumpkins.  Use the type of cheese you want.  Add other ingredients or take out ingredients...this is your stuffed pumpkin.  Serve as a main course with a salad or as a side.  It is your call...you are in control!  I placed our cooked pumpkins on a platter in the center of the table and we just scooped out the goodness.  Make sure you get the pumpkin in your scoops.  Or cut the pumpkin into wedges and serve.  It is your call...you are in control!

Stuffed Pumpkin


Stuffed Pumpkin
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pound pumpkin
4 oz stale bread, cubed
4 oz cheese (I used a combination of whatever was in my deli drawer)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chives or green onions
1 t fresh thyme
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350.  Cut the top off the pumpkin.  Clean out the seeds and strings.  In a bowl, mix all of the remaining ingredients except for the cream.  Taste and adjust ingredients according to taste.

Stuff the pumpkins well.  Pour the cream into the pumpkin.  Cover with the top and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 90 minutes.  Take the top off and bake for another 30 minutes.   

Again, when serving, you can either cut the pumpkin into wedges or use a spoon to pull the pumpkin out along with the stuffing.