Dinner in a Pumpkin...revisited!

 I am celebrating!

It's my One Year blogiversary!!

This was my second post, so I thought I'd share it again,

since NO ONE saw it the first time! 

You can laugh along with me...I don't mind! 

 

I'm excited to share this recipe with you.  I made it for dinner the other night, and my mouth still waters everytime I think about it!  I made a few adjustments to the original recipe from   Epicurious.

• 1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds (I used 2 small pie pumpkins)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 pound stale bread, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (1 c. croutons)
• 1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2–4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (I used Jimmy Dean sage sausage)
• About 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup pecans
• About 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 
  
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a glass pan with Pam, to prevent pumpkins from sticking.

Using a very sturdy knife—and caution—cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Jack-o-Lantern).  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 in the baking pan.

Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, sausage, and green onions together in a bowl. Season with pepper, and salt to taste.—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. Pour the cream into the pumpkin. You want the mixture nicely moistened. (If you have any extra mixture, just put it in another dish and bake it alongside the pumpkins.)

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 45 minutes to 1 hour—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. You can also take the pumpkin top off for the last 20 minutes to brown. I sliced the pumpkins into fourths to serve.

Additional personal notes:  I don't ever seem to have "stale" bread around.  It's either fairly fresh, or green...so I toasted 4 pieces of wheat sandwich bread slices.  Instead of bacon, I used a pkg. of Jimmy Dean sage sausage.  Heat up a saute pan, crumble the sausage and cook until no longer pink, then drain grease.  I did use gruyere cheese, because it's just so creamy, and decadent.  I also added a cup of homemade croutons (I always keep a baggie full of croutons I made with bakery bread of whatever type, that are tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Then toasted in 350 oven for 15 or so minutes, until dried out and toasty.)  I added the garlic, green onion tops, and pecans.  

I used 2 fairly small pie pumpkins (5 -6 inches diameter). I did have a little extra stuffing, so I baked it in a separate smaller pan.  Both pumpkins were fork tender in about 45 minutes.  If using a bigger pumpkin, it may take longer.

This would make a great side dish, or main meal.  Hope you enjoy!

 

I am so very thankful for you, my readers, my followers, my friends! 

You have encouraged me and cheered me on...for which I am so grateful!!

 

 My prayers and thoughts are with those who are affected by this devastating storm.

xoxo

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