Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe

This savory Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe makes the perfect comfort food for fall! These small pumpkins are stuffed chock full of meaty flavor, gooey cheese, and a stick-to-your-ribs stuffing flavored with fresh herbs and spices! You might love these stuffed pumpkins more than you love your pumpkin spice drinks!

It’s that time of year– pumpkin season! I don’t know about you, but when I think about pumpkin, my mind automatically turns to delicious treats like pumpkin pie, Pumpkin Candy Corn Cookies, Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread, or my  Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Tartlets. Pumpkin = sweets and treats in my mind.

I don’t typically think of savory dishes when I think of pumpkins. But there are so many great things you can do with pumpkin. I need to thank my good friend and neighbor, Tracy, for this one. She sent me a note saying I had to try it, and I am so very glad she did! Thank you, Tracy!! BIG baking hugs for this one, girl!

This dish was a huge hit in our home. The flavors blended so nicely together and the pumpkin itself was so yummy! It came right out of the shell when I scooped it with my fork and tasted oh so good with the cornbread, bacon, and sausage.

They were very filling, too. Not a single one of us finished, plus we had a whole pumpkin left over. Thank goodness these stuffed pumpkins make wonderful leftovers the next day for lunch!

Ingredients for Stuffed Pumpkins

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious fall dinner:

• Small sugar pie pumpkin for each person
• Bulk sausage
• Bacon (I prefer center cut bacon)
• Stove Top Stuffing Cornbread Mix
• Chicken Broth
• Butter
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Italian parsley (flat-leaf)
• Shredded Swiss cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Heavy Cream

Make sure to review the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact amounts of each ingredient.

How to make this Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe

This recipe takes a good amount of time, so make sure to plan ahead!

1. Using a serrated knife, cut the top of the pumpkin off, and remove the seeds and all of the stringy innards. Make sure to scrape it down to reveal the flesh of the pumpkin inside. Repeat for each pumpkin.
2. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with tinfoil or parchment paper and spraying it with cooking spray.
3.  Prepare the stuffing mix as directed with the chicken stock and butter, and set it aside.
4. Cook the bacon, crumble it, and place it into a large bowl. In a large skillet, place sausage and crumble as it cooks. Drain and combine in a large bowl with the crumbled bacon.
5. Add the stuffing mix or cornbread cubes, nutmeg, parsley, Swiss and cheddar cheeses, and heavy cream, and combine all ingredients thoroughly.
6.  Lightly stuff the shell of each hollowed-out pumpkin with the filling mixture. Place the pumpkins on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 2 hours. (Do your nails, fix your hair, take a bath,  and enjoy the quiet time when you’re usually rushing around to prepare dinner!)
7. The sides will start to shrivel towards the end of baking. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut the whole thing in half and serve. Caution: it will still be very HOT when served.

Recipe Tips

I had the best result scraping the inside with a grapefruit spoon. If you have one, you may want to use it but don’t go out and purchase it just for this purpose. You can use a regular large spoon.

Be careful not to overfill your pumpkins as the stuffing does expand as it bakes.

Variations/Substitutions

• You can use any cheese you prefer: Try Gruyere or Jarlsberg
• Your sausage can be made from ground turkey chicken, or pork- it really doesn’t matter.
• Add even more flavor with sliced onions and/or minced garlic.
• You could add mushrooms, nuts, rice stuffing, or even fruit like cranberries or diced apples for different flavors and textures!
• This would be a great holiday meal or a fun day-after meal to use up Thanksgiving leftovers and even those pumpkins you’ve used for decorating! 😉

FAQs

What size pumpkin should I use?

Look for small sugar pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins) that are about 2 ½ – 3 pounds each for this recipe. This is a different kind of pumpkin than the kind you use for carving.

Can I roast the pumpkin seeds?

Yes! To avoid excess food waste, roast any seeds you remove from the pumpkins. I enjoy them lightly salted.

Can I make this in mini pumpkins?

Yes, that would be a fun way to make individual servings! The cooking time would be much shorter, maybe around a half hour or so. But I haven’t tried this, so you might just have to watch it closely, and I’m not sure the exact count of smaller pumpkins you’d need.

How do I store leftover Stuffed Baked Pumpkin?

Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days. To reheat, place them in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Sure, just substitute a meatless protein for the sausage and bacon, or omit it entirely. Use dairy-free cheese as well and you have a vegan dish!

More Pumpkin Recipes

I usually bake with my pumpkin, so here are some sweet treats for you to try:

• Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies
• Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Cookies
• No Bake Pumpkin Lush
• Pumpkin Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Cake
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice

Squash It Up!

These recipes aren’t pumpkin specific, but you can enjoy her sister squash in all sorts of ways!

This one-pan Sauteed Squash is a quick and easy side dish that’s full of flavor! 

Roasted spaghetti squash and sausage come together for an easy dinner. Seasoned with garlic and Italian herbs, Sausage Spaghetti Squash is a flavorful family favorite!

This hearty Yellow Squash Casserole is a comforting side dish full of fresh and savory flavor. Tender and sweet, yellow squash joins with garlic, onions, fresh herbs, and plenty of cheesy filling to make the perfect casserole you can serve with any main dish. 

Roasted Butternut Squash makes a simple and flavorful side dish for your meals! Tossed in fresh herbs like sage and thyme, cubes of butternut squash turn out perfectly tender on the inside with nice crisp edges. 

Butternut Spinach Multi-Grain Medley – roasted butternut squash, sautéed spinach and onion, and pomegranate arils tossed with rice make this colorful Fall side dish perfect for your holiday table.

I used to rate everything I baked on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these Stuffed Pumpkins earned 3 1/2 rolling pins!
There were SO unbelievably yummy!
Even the boy who turned his nose up when he asked what was for dinner ended up really liking it!
And that’s saying something, especially coming from one who would eat penne, tacos or my chicken picatta every night of the year.
Mr. 365 said, “you can definitely make this again!”
I think it was a hit.
They were very filling, too. None of us finished and we had a whole pumpkin leftover.
Then again we are birds when we eat. Good leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch though!

The flavors blended so nicely together and the pumpkin itself was so yummy delicious! It came right out of the shell when I scooped it with my fork. and tasted oh so good with the cornbread, bacon and sausage.

FOLLOW ME

 FACEBOOK ~ PINTEREST 
 INSTAGRAM ~ TWITTER 
YOUTUBE

Keep an eye out for more of my easy recipes each week!