Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin.

This recipe is my white whale. I want to make this awesome pumpkin work, but honestly, it's more work than it's worth. But diminishing returns aside, this recipe can be a grand spectacle for a holiday table, and it's delicious.

Annotated Cooking Notes:: There was a lot of preparation and effort involved... I'll be honest and straightforward. It took me two tries to get this recipe right. The first attempt was a French recipe, and it was, frankly, unusual. I created the second recipe myself, drawing from traditional stuffing methods. Whether you're stuffing a turkey or a pumpkin, the process is essentially the same. It turned out well, but the time invested wasn't justified by the result.

Ingredients

1 medium cheese pumpkin.

1 box of stuffing mix

1 onion chopped

1 cup diced butternut squash

1 cup diced sweet potato

3 stalks of celery, diced

3 carrots diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

4 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 tbs dried sage

1 tbs allspice

1tbs nutmeg

1 cup diced apples

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup cream

2 cups cheese, Mozzarella, ,Gruyère or any other cheese of your preference

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

olive oil

butter

salt pepper

Directions

Prepare the Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375°F (190 °C).

Cut the top off the pumpkin like a lid. Scoop out seeds and strings.

Rub the inside with butter or olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Place on a lined baking sheet or in a casserole dish.

Pre-bake 20 minutes to soften slightly.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned.

Add vegetables Sauté 5–7 minutes until soft.

Stir in apples, cranberries, herbs/ spices salt, and pepper. Cook 2–3 minutes.

Make stuffing according to your box's instructions

Mix chicken broth and cream together

Mix stuffing in with sautéed veggie hash. add in toasted walnuts

Stuff Pumpkin, put a layer of stuffing on bottom,

add in half the sausage and veggie mix, add in half the cheese, pour over half the stock and cream mixture. repeat again until pumpkin is full.

Replace the lid.

Bake for 45–60 minutes, until the pumpkin flesh is tender.

If the top starts browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Slice into wedges or scoop out the filling with pumpkin flesh.

Optional garnish: extra cheese or fresh herbs.

Optional Add-ins

Chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch

A splash of white wine when cooking sausage for extra flavor

Cranberry-orange stuffing mix for a holiday twist