A brand new Video for you guys featuring the ULTIMATE holiday centerpiece!!!

This is two dishes in one. The roasted pumpkin is delicious on its own, and you could use any of the exotic varieties available right now (this one is called a fairytale, but I have also used ghost and cinderella varieties- the Ghost variety is below in the how-to pictures). Then there is my favorite part! THE STUFFING….

Rice stuffing to be exact- but still filled with all of my favorite traditional stuffing flavors like spicy sausage, mushrooms, onion, green apples, sour cherries or cranberries and walnuts plus plenty of fresh herbs.

No joke, this has created GASPS at my table (or my friends were just being overly-dramatic- either way I soaked it up, cuz it was awesome looking!)Not to mention that this seriously feeds a lot of people. 8-10 easily- probably 12 as a side dish in a buffet spread.

We have 30 people coming for Thanksgiving this year (I should probably start figuring out my menu! lol!) But what I do know is that one of these will definitely be on the menu, and I am also taking one to Friendsgiving this weekend!

Side note for my vegan and vegetarian friends: The recipe has spicy Italian Sausage and chicken broth in it, but if you just want veggies it is a simple substitution- I would simply amp up the amount of mushrooms and kale inside and use vegetable broth- then you have a GF, Vegan dish. Guaranteed, someone you know is trying not to eat gluten this Thanksgiving, and this is the perfect stuffing for them. You could also shove it inside of a turkey- delicious!

I think that the kale was also a great addition, but of course you could make that optional. Ok. Hope you enjoy this

To make this roast pumpkin, here is what you do:
Cut the top off of the pumpkin and scrape out the “guts” and seeds. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt on the inside and set aside.

Ok, to make this Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin, this is what you do!

In a heavy pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the sausage. Cook over medium high heat, breaking the sausage up as you cook it. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked all the way through, 5-7 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. add the sage and cook another minute. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan, cooking until the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage and set aside.Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and then heat over high heat. Add the kale (curly or tuscan- I preferred Tuscan actually) and transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. Season to taste with kosher salt.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add the rice. stir to coat the rice and then add the chicken stock. Cover with a lid or a sheet of foil and cook over low heat about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the fresh sage, walnuts and sour cherries to the sausage/mushroom/onion mix.

• When the rice is finished, stir the sausage mixture into the rice and season to taste with kosher salt. gently mix in the kale.Place the Pumpkin in that same heavy pan you have been cooking in.Stuff the pumpkin with the the rice/sausage/kale mixture.Put the lid on the pumpkin and place in the oven.
  Cook at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, and then lower to 350 degrees for 15-20 more minutes.

  Serve hot by either scooping out the filling along with part of the pumpkin walls, or slice pieces of the pumpkin and add stuffing to the top of the piece of pumpkin.

  Recipe: Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin

  Ingredients

  • 1 5-6 pound pumpkin (I used a ghost pumpkin)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • .75 pound spicy Italian Sausage, casing removed
  • 1 large yellow onion, small diced
  • 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, small diced
  • 1 tablespoon sage, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 cups kale, rough chopped (you could use Tuscan or Curly kale)
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopepd
  • 1/4 cup dried sour cherries or dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Cut the top off of the pumpkin and scrape out the “guts” and seeds. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt on the inside and set aside.
  3. In a heavy pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the sausage. Cook over medium high heat, breaking the sausage up as you cook it. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked all the way through, 5-7 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  4. Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. add the sage and cook another minute. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan, cooking until the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage and set aside.
  5. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and then heat over high heat. Add the kale and gently toss and cook until barely wilted and still bright green- about 2 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. Season to taste with kosher salt.
  6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add the rice. stir to coat the rice and then add the chicken stock. Cover with a lid or a sheet of foil and cook over low heat about 15 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, add the fresh sage, walnuts and sour cherries to the sausage/mushroom/onion mix.
  8. When the rice is finished, stir the sausage mixture into the rice and season to taste with kosher salt. gently mix in the kale.
  9. Place the Pumpkin in that same heavy pan you have been cooking in.
  10. Stuff the pumpkin with the the rice/sausage/kale mixture.
  11. Put the lid on the pumpkin and place in the oven. Cook at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, and then lower to 350 degrees for 15-20 more minutes. Serve hot by either scooping out the filling along with part of the pumpkin walls, or slice pieces of the pumpkin and add stuffing to the top of the piece of pumpkin.

  Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

  Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

  Number of servings (yield): 12