Thanksgiving Stuffed Pumpkin
One year, my brother decided he was a vegetarian, and invited us all to fly cross country for Thanksgiving.
This stuffed pumpkin was what he served instead of turkey. 馃檮 I found the recipe in the family cookbook last week.
I have no photos, because I was about 19 years old when he made this. As I recall, it's a bit bland. It tastes like stuffing with steamed squash.
1/1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
6" sweet pumpkin with a stem
1 Tbsp soft butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 Bay leaf
pinch each salt, pepper and nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
2 1/2 cups light cream
6 Tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 350F
Toast the bread crumbs the 350F oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally till browned.
Cut out a "cover" 4" in diameter from top of pumpkin.
Scrape out the pumpkin and remove all stringy material. Rub the inside with soft butter, covering completely, and sprinkle with salt.
Cook onions in Tbsp butter 8 to 10 minutes on low heat.
Stir in bread crumbs and allow to cook slowly for two minutes to absorb the butter.
Stir in the sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. The cheese will melt into the bread crumbs.
Spoon the cheese and bread crumb mixture into the pumpkin. Pour in the cream. The bread crumb mixture should come to within 1/2" of the pumpkin rim. Lay the bay leaf on top, and then replace the "cover" you cut out earlier.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place pumpkin in a metal pan, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Reduce oven heat to 350F and bake 1/2 hour more.
To serve, remove cover, and dip into the pumpkin with a long handled spoon, scraping the (now soft and cooked) pumpkin flesh off the bottom and sides with each serving.
The pumpkin is small enough to be lifted onto a platter with a spatula. (Wide pancake turner).
This stuffed pumpkin was what he served instead of turkey. 馃檮 I found the recipe in the family cookbook last week.
I have no photos, because I was about 19 years old when he made this. As I recall, it's a bit bland. It tastes like stuffing with steamed squash.
1/1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
6" sweet pumpkin with a stem
1 Tbsp soft butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 Bay leaf
pinch each salt, pepper and nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
2 1/2 cups light cream
6 Tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 350F
Toast the bread crumbs the 350F oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally till browned.
Cut out a "cover" 4" in diameter from top of pumpkin.
Scrape out the pumpkin and remove all stringy material. Rub the inside with soft butter, covering completely, and sprinkle with salt.
Cook onions in Tbsp butter 8 to 10 minutes on low heat.
Stir in bread crumbs and allow to cook slowly for two minutes to absorb the butter.
Stir in the sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. The cheese will melt into the bread crumbs.
Spoon the cheese and bread crumb mixture into the pumpkin. Pour in the cream. The bread crumb mixture should come to within 1/2" of the pumpkin rim. Lay the bay leaf on top, and then replace the "cover" you cut out earlier.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place pumpkin in a metal pan, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Reduce oven heat to 350F and bake 1/2 hour more.
To serve, remove cover, and dip into the pumpkin with a long handled spoon, scraping the (now soft and cooked) pumpkin flesh off the bottom and sides with each serving.
The pumpkin is small enough to be lifted onto a platter with a spatula. (Wide pancake turner).
