If you guys follow me on Instagram you probably would have realised that I have been obsessively cooking with PUMPKINS. Pies, cookies, truffles,bedtime drinks, you name it I’ve done it this month!
This week was one of the most chaotic weeks of my LIFE. I had so many projects and so many recipes to deliver in such a SHORT timeframe. But i did it! Didn’t think i’d be able to complete all these tasks but i did!! And i’m SO PROUD of myself 😀
Won’t be able to share with you what i did until the end of the month!
On another note, my aunt has an awesome stuffed pumpkin recipe, and i’ve always been intimidated to try it out. So after i finished from all my project shoots I decided to stuff my little pumpkin 🙂
It is beyond awesome, like you just want to stuff your face into it!
It’s not a LIGHT dish, so health advocates you can do your substitutions, i’m going to settle for cheese and cream this time!
Recipe Below:
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin, about 2-3 kgs
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 strips of turkey bacon (or bacon of choice)
- 110g elbow macaroni
- 140g Fontina cheese, cut into 0.5cm cubes
- 56g Gruyère cheese, cut into 0.5cm cubes
- 100g shaved Parmesan cheese
- 3 scallions, diced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup heavy cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 176°C. Cut a circle from the top of the pumpkin, the way you would cut open a pumpkin to make a jack-o’-lantern. Scoop out the seeds and strings as best as you can (Can get messy, use your hands). Generously salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin, pop the top back on it, place it on a parchment paper on a baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place the bacon and cook until lightly browned. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
- Also while the pumpkin bakes, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
- In a bowl, toss together the Parmesan, Fontina, Gruyère, bacon, pasta, scallions and herbs.
- Once the pumpkin is done baking, take it out of the oven and fill it with the macaroni and cheese.
- Pour the cream over the filling and with a spoon try to let it seep into the mixture.
- Place the top back on the pumpkin and bake for 1 hour, taking the top off for the last 15 minutes so the cheese on top of the filling can properly brown.
- Allow the pumpkin to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Be careful moving the dish, as the pumpkin may be fragile.
There you have it, your mac and cheese in a PUMPKIN.
It’s divine! You can make it in small pumpkins to serve individually or you can make it in one big pumpkin and serve 🙂
Watch my video on Instagram for the process
Pinch of Love,
Mrs.Clueless
