Ingredients
- 4 sugar pie pumpkins, about 1 pound each (or acorn or sweet dumpling squash)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots, large, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 oz baby spinach, about 5 packed cups
- 1 French baguette, stale, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 6.5 ounces or 4 cups)
- ⅔ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a lid from the top of each pumpkin, angling the knife inward around the stem so the lid won't fall in. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp and discard them (or save the seeds for roasting!). Rub salt and pepper on the inside of the pumpkins.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook about 5 minutes more, until the mushrooms are browned. Stir in the spinach and cook just until it wilts. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, cheese, nutmeg, and cream and stir until the bread is evenly moistened. Divide the filling among the pumpkins, packing it in gently, then place the lids back on top. Set the pumpkins in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the pumpkins for about 1 hour, then remove the lids (bake them alongside the pumpkins) and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more, until the filling is browned and crispy on top and the pumpkin flesh is easily pierced with a knife. Replace the lids and serve.
Notes
If you're not a fan of pumpkin in savory recipes, try kabocha, sweet dumpling, or acorn squash.
Although I used Swiss cheese, just about any good melting cheese works here, such as Gruyère, fontina, or sharp white cheddar. For a strictly vegetarian dish, choose a cheese made with microbial or vegetable rennet.
To make these in advance, prepare the pumpkins and sauté the vegetables up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate them separately. Then assemble the filling, stuff the pumpkins, and bake before serving.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 18gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 2065mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 42612IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 367mgIron: 7mg
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