I have a dear friend who started out as a work partner. 16 years later, here we are. She is a dog lover, foodie and wine snob, just like me. She lives in the mountains of North Georgia and I live in the middle of nowhere. She sent me this recipe last year and now, with the leaves turning and Fall abound…today was the day to make her stuffed pumpkin! Cheers, Michelle!!! and thank you for the great recipe!

1 pie pumpkin (about 3 pounds) if you need one bigger, use one! Just double or triple the recipe (use a pumpkin made for cooking)

salt and pepper

about 3 cups of croutons

2 cups of Gruyere and Cheddar cheese (I used Gouda and Jarlsberg) shredded

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup of fried bacon, roughly chopped

1/4 cup of finely snipped chives

1 tablespoon of chopped thyme (stems removed)

1/3 cup heavy cream (may need a little more or a little less)

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sturdy knife, cut a lid from the pumpkin . Cut in at a 45 degree angle….and cut near the widest portion of the pumpkin so you can spoon out the goodness easily. Scrape the lid and the inside of the pumpkin to get all the seeds out. Generously season the inside and the lid with salt and pepper.

Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, croutons, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper (the cheese probably adds enough salt). Stir in the cream and the nutmeg (you want enough cream to completely moisten the mixture) then fill the pumpkin full.

Place the cap on the pumpkin and bake for about 90 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes to allow the moisture from the pumpkin to evaporate. take a knife and gently insert into the pumpkin wall from the inside. If the flesh is tender. it is done!

Remove from heat, and let it sit 15 minutes. Present it whole on the table, then slice to serve.

You get a nice chuck of pumpkin with each bite…..

Serve as a Thanksgiving side dish or just as a nice light Winter lunch or dinner.

Pinto Noir, chardonnay or Merlot would go nicely with this dish! Let me know how you like it!