Stuffed Cheese Pumpkin

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  • Serves: 2
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 ~6lb Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
  • 1 Butternut Squash
  • 1/2 Loaf Sourdough Bread
  • 1 Clove Garlic (peeled)
  • 1/2 Pound Bacon (cut into 1/4" slices)
  • 1/2 Pound Shiitake Mushrooms
  • 1 1/4 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice (or blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice)
  • 1/2 Tbsp Paprika
  • 1/4 Cup Walnuts (toasted and chopped)
  • 1/4 Cup Pumpkin Seeds (toasted)
  • 1 Scallion (sliced)
  • 1/2 Pound Cheddar Cheese (Grated)
  • 2 Tbps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt
  • Pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Slice the butternut squash in half, remove the seeds, rub the inside with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash flesh side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until cooked through.
  3. With a small serrated knife, remove a circular cap wide enough to later fill the pumpkin with stuffing
  4. Cut the sourdough bread into 1 inch thick slices and toast. Lightly rub the toasted bread with the clove of garlic
  5. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper-towel lined plate; keep the bacon fat in the pan
  6. Return the pan to medium heat, and add the mushrooms. Sauté until tender, about 3 minutes, and then season to taste with salt and pepper
  7. When the cooked butternut squash is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh with a spoon and cut into a rough dice
  8. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and cream with the pumpkin spice, and salt and pepper to taste
  9. Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with salt, pepper and the paprika
  10. Begin filling the pumpkin by starting with a layer of bread, then half of the bacon, half of the walnuts, half of the pumpkin seeds, half of the scallions, and half of the cheese. Pour in about half of the cream mixture and lightly press down. Repeat with remaining filling ingredients to reach the top of the pumpkin
  11. Pour in the remainder of the cream mixture to reach the rim. Return the cap to the pumpkin and transfer onto an aluminum foil lined baking tray. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the cheese pumpkin is cooked though
  12. Serve warm, scooping a bit of the cheese pumpkin from the sides along with the filling