I guarantee that this stuffed pumpkin concoction will appeal to all your senses--it's colorful, aromatic and it's unlike anything you've ever tried before. It's also lots of fun to make, and the end result will be a gorgeous, bubbling, ooooey gooey cauldron of cheesy, sweet savory goodness.
One caution: be ready to feed a small army with your creation. Granted, this dish can be portioned out on its own as a main course--but it's super-rich and dense, so you might feel a bit guilty afterwards from the calorie intake. Instead, my suggestion is to serve it as a hearty centerpiece party dip, right out of the pumpkin, using pretzel chips or celery sticks to scoop out the sweet cheesy awesomeness.
Read on for the step-by-step deets. The proportions below will yield enough to generously serve 10-15 people if served as a party dip.
GATHER AND PREP YOUR INGREDIENTS
One small-ish pumpkin (~3 lbs.), cleaned and hollowed out
2-3 cups French bread, diced
1-2 cups baby spinach
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
2 cups diced cheese (I used Havarti, white Cheddar, and Gruyere)
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
GET COOKING
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
The first step will no different from making a Jack-o-Lantern: Cut a cap off the top of the pumpkin. Remove the seeds and scrape with a spoon, until the interior is smooth and free of any slimy pumpkin "guts."
In a large bowl, blend the bread cubes, apple, cheese, garlic and baby spinach.
Transfer the bowl's contents into the hollowed pumpkin cavity.
Place the stuffed pumpkin on a baking dish large enough to contain its perimeter. (I used a standard oven safe 12-inch glass pie dish). Next, pour the heavy cream and the beef broth into the pumpkin. You'll want the filling to be thoroughly moistened, but not swimming in liquid.
Pantry Goddess Tip: For a little extra "ooomph," use French onion-flavored beef broth instead of plain.
Re-cap the pumpkin and place it in the center of your oven. Set the timer for 90 minutes, then go watch some football.
After the 90 minutes are up, uncap the pumpkin.
Re-set your timer for another 30-40 minutes and continue to bake uncapped. Once uncapped, the contents will eventually bubble up and expand as shown in the pic below. Allow the cheesy stuffing to brown slightly. When the pumpkin's exterior skin is tender enough to pierce effortlessly with a knife, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 to10 minutes.
After (approximately) two full hours of baking at 350-degrees, your pumpkin will have gone from this...
To this... (Keep reading for final steps/serving suggestion.)
Using a metal table spoon, gently separate the pumpkin flesh from the hull, being very careful not to pierce it (if you do, this entire lovely vessel may collapse!). Gently fold the baked pumpkin flesh into the rest of the contents, then season with black pepper and sea salt to taste. Serve it with celery sticks and/or pretzel chips to scoop out the contents. Not only will you have a delicious pumpkin dip, but if served right out of the pumpkin, it will also double as a very impressive looking (and edible) centerpiece for your party table. Happy Halloween!
