Stuffed Pumpkin

This recipe looks complicated, but it's not: essentially, it involves gutting a pumpkin just like you would for a jack-o-lantern, making an easy bread pudding, and putting the bread pudding into the pumpkin. Even so, this is a good show-off recipe, the kind of thing that makes your friends think you're a culinary wizard. Even more important though, since it basically involves bread, cheese, and bacon, most kids will eat it.

Because it takes 90 minutes to cook, this is definitely a weekend recipe. I've adapted it from Dorie Greespan's Around My French Table, and though I haven't tried it yet with an acorn squash, I will once the grocery stores and road-side stands stop carrying pumpkins.

One final note: I generally DOUBLE this recipe for a family of two adults and three kids. That usually leaves some leftovers for lunch the next day.

Stuffed Pumpkin

1 pumpkin, 2.5-3.5 lbs

1/4 lb stale break, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1/4 Gruyere, cut into 1/2 squares

1-2 cloves garlic, minced (maybe less: the flavor can be very strong)

1/4 lb bacon, cooked and chopped

1/4 minced green onions

1 TB minced fresh thyme

1/2 cup (or slightly more) heavy cream

1.5 ts ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut open and gut and seed the pumpkin, just as you would for a jack-o-lantern. Be sure to keep the lid.
3. Rub the inside of the pumpkin with a combination of salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Slice and cube the bread, and mix together in a large bowl with the gruyere, garlic, bacon, onions, and thyme. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well.
5. Put the stuffing in the pumpkin. If it doesn't all fit, don't worry.
6. Mix together the cream and the nutmeg. Pour into the pumpkin. Place the cap back on the pumpkin.
7. Put the pumpkin on a cookie sheet. Carefully slide it into the oven.
8. Bake for 90 minutes. Test with the tip of a knife. If it slides in easily, remove the pumpkin from the oven. If not, cook for ten more minutes, and then remove.
9. I usually use a thin spatula to place the pumpkin on a serving dish. Then I remove the lid, slice the pumpkin in half, then slice each half in thirds to serve. Everything but the skin and stem can be eaten.

Family ratings on a scale of 1-10:

Lucy who will eat anything: 10

Will who tends to talk a lot when served a dish he doesn't like: 8

Jamie: 8

Ellen and Paul: 10