Stuffed Pumpkin
One of our retailers, Piazza's Fine Foods, had some adorable baby "sugar pie" pumpkins on sale. I bought one to create the perfect dish to impress Thanksgiving guests! Roasted pumpkin filled with a creamy, cheesy blend of spicy black beans and rice! It looks exotic but don't worry. If you can carve a Halloween pumpkin you can prepare this dish. Best to use a "sugar pie" or other pumpkin grown for eating (not for jack-o-lanterns).The pumpkin cooks for a long time, giving you time to prepare other dishes while it is in the oven.Note: You can make this dish with any of the other Yumbini Flavors if you prefer.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 2.5-3 pound Pumpkin, fresh, whole "Sugar pie" other pumpkin grown for eating
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Egg, whole, fresh or vegan substitute
- 1¼ cups Water
- 1 3.5oz pkg Yumbini Smoky Chipotle Black Beans and Rice, dry or other Yumbini flavor if desired
- ½ cup Cheese, shredded parmesan, cheddar, Jack
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Wash and dry the pumpkin and cut the top off as you would for a Halloween pumpkin.
- Scoop out the insides of the pumpkin with a spoon, reserving the seeds for roasting later. It's okay to leave some of the pumpkin stringy stuff inside.
- Measure one tablespoon of olive oil into the pumpkin, Rub it thoroughly around the inside with your fingers. Then use your oily hands to coat the outside and "lid" of the pumpkin with oil.
- Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven 45 minutes at 375℉.
- After the pumpkin is in the oven, combine one egg and 1¼ cups of water in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk to blend thoroughly.
- Add the Yumbini Quick Beans and Rice.
- Add 1/2 cup cheese.
- Mix, cover with a towel and leave to soak at room temperature until the pumpkin is ready.
- After 45 minutes of roasting, remove the pumpkin from the oven, but do not turn off the oven. Use a fork or spoon to move the "lid" of the pumpkin from the baking sheet to a small dish. It should be cooked by now.
- Fill the pumpkin with the Yumbini, egg, water, cheese mixture. A soup ladle works well for this job.
- Put the filled pumpkin back in the oven and bake for another 45-60 minutes at 375℉. It is done when the filling is set (not liquid) and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to "rest" for about 10 minutes. (Don't worry, it will stay hot for a long time!) Use a large spatula to move the pumpkin to a serving plate. Garnish as desired. Put the pumpkin lid back on the pumpkin or set it on the side.To serve, spoon out the filling, scraping the sides to get a dramatic and generous serving of pumpkin.
- PS: to roast the pumpkin seeds, simply salt and bake in the oven at 350℉ for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Bake until browned and crispy. If the shells start popping, they are done!(Bake the seeds at the same time as the pumpkin if your oven is big enough.)
