This was the first dish I cooked after Thompson was born. He was in the hospital around Halloween time, and I remember listening to Dorie Greenspan talk about this dish on NPR as I drove to see him one day. It sounded amazing, and how could it not be? As the name implies, literally, it is stuffed with everything good.
As luck would have it, Thompson was able to go home shortly after Halloween, and the day we were leaving, the hospital happened to be giving away extra pumpkins that had been used as decorations. With that recipe stuck in my mind, I grabbed one, and made it a few nights later for us and my mom who was visiting. In those sleep deprived days, it was the ultimate comfort food in the form of a stuffed pumpkin.
On her NPR segment, Dorie mentioned how you can’t really go wrong with this recipe, and how she will often make variations with ingredients she has on hand. I think pecans would be a perfect addition and planned to add some this last time I made it, but didn’t remember that I was going to until after it went in the oven. So feel free to experiment–just let me know how it turns out so I can try it myself!
- 1 small to medium pumpkin
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¾ pound stale sourdough bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
- ¼ lb Gruyere, grated
- ¼ lb aged gouda, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
- ⅔ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a circular hole in the top of the pumpkin to create a cap. Clean out the inside of the pumpkin, removing the seeds and strings. Season the inside generously with salt and pepper. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, stir together the bread, cheese, bacon, and thyme. Pack the mix into the pumpkin. It should be filled. In a small bowl, stir together the nutmeg, garlic, and cream. Pour over the top of the bread to moisten.
- Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours, checking after 90 minutes. It is done when the pumpkin flesh is soft and tender enough to be pierced easily with a knife. Remove the cap for the last 20 minutes of cooking to let the top brown slightly.
- Remove from oven, and serve warm, scooping out the pumpkin flesh with the stuffing as you serve it.
This is STUNNING. You’re so right, it’s stuffed with EVERYTHING GOOD! And I love the presentation!!!!