A Taste of Heaven – Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

Wow.  This is quite the meal.  Last fall my family and I went to a pumpkin patch (one of my favorite fall activities).  We all picked out pumpkins to carve and eat.  That night we made this most delicious stuffed pumpkin.  Pumpkin stuffed with cheese, bacon, bread, chives and heavy cream.  We had leftover cheese cubes that had been mixed with the spices, herbs and bacon.  That alone was heaven on a plate.  We couldn’t stop downing the extra cheese cubes – I think someone should market that as a great appetizer (no, seriously – we ate them right from the bowl).  So it wasn’t too surprising that the pumpkin was also heaven on a plate.  Mouthwatering delicious – I think I’ve told everyone I know about this recipe.  I loved it so much the first time, I had to make it again!

Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good

Adapted from NPR

Ingredients

1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (I used sourdough)

1/4 pound cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (I used a combination of Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese and Kerrygold Aged Cheddar Cheese)

2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped

4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped

About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

About 1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that's just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin.  

Using a very sturdy knife cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (like you’re carving a pumpkin).  Cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin.  Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin.  Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot.  Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl.  Season with pepper, you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure, and pack the mix into the pumpkin.  The pumpkin should be well filled — you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it.  Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin.  Watch as you pour to achieve the right amount.  The ingredients should not be swimming in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened.

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours  (check after 90 minutes ) or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife.  Remove the cap during the last 20 minutes so the liquid can bake and the top of the stuffing can brown. 

When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully, bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you'll bring to the table.

Serve by spooning out portions of the filling.  Make sure to get a generous amount of the pumpkin into each spoonful! 

Makes 2 very generous servings

What is your fall favorite?

Fall is one of my favorite seasons; the crisp air, the cool breeze, the sunshine that hits the leaves just right, all make a fall day beautiful.  So does pie.  Pumpkin Pie.

Basic Pie Dough

Baking Illustrated

For 1 Double-Crust 9-Inch Pie

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

6-8 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Process the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined.  Ad the shortening and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds.  Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with the butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses.  Turn the mixture into a medium bowl. *Note - I actually worked this by hand, careful not to overwork the dough.

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture.  With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix.  Press down on the dough with the broad side of the spatula until the dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if the dough will not come together.  Divide the dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 4-inch disk.  Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days, before rolling.  

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie