I first made roasted, stuffed pumpkin for my friend Holly about two years ago. It was Dorie’s version with bread and cheese and tons of cream and every other totally indulgent thing you can imagine. It was incredible and you should absolutely make it at least once in your life.
I made a roasted, stuffed pumpkin again today but this time with fluffy, chorizo-scented rice, tangy goat cheese, and sweet raisins. I shared it with Holly (as I do almost all things made with cheese) and it got me reminiscing about that first glorious edible casserole we shared.
We hadn’t been friends long when we shared that first pumpkin. Our boys were just barely eating real food, so they must’ve only been about 8 months old, maybe a little more. We became fast friends after meeting at story hour and realizing our kids were about the same age and that we both enjoyed cheese and pumpkin, preferably combined.
When we met we both had two kids, she has gone on to have another and is now awaiting her fourth (God bless her, she is a much braver woman than I). I’m sitting in her house as I type this snuggled up with her dog while her little Henry (same age as my Hiro) snores peacefully beside us. It is payback babysitting for the millions of hours she has watched my kids.
Holly and her family will be moving soon and I have not a clue who I will make cream-filled pumpkin for or call to watch my kids at the last minute or await hilarious and vulgar texts from at half past bedtime (I guess I can still get those from her).
Your kids bless you with incredible gifts, one of which is amazing friends. The women my kids have set me up with are some of the most loving, funny, generous people I know. I don’t look forward to breaking the news to Hiro that his bud won’t be around for playdates anymore, but mainly because that means my bud won’t be around either.
I realize it might seem a little strange that I’m posting this recipe now, waaaaayyyy past pumpkin season, but this dish remains perfect cold-weather food. I don’t know, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who lives somewhere where coats are optional, but we are still up to our scarf-covered noses in bitter cold weather and cream and cheese stuffed pumpkins reign supreme.
Cozy Late Winter Dinner
Jicama Slaw with Ginger Molasses Vinaigrette
Pumpkin: Stuffed with Chorizo Rice and Goat Cheese
One More Thing: Nominations for the Saveur Blog Awards are going on now, so don’t forget to head on over there and nominate your favorite blog! Maybe even mine 🙂 xoxoxo
Pumpkin: Stuffed with Chorizo Rice and Goat Cheese {Gluten Free}
The pumpkin can be stuffed (except for the cream, save that until right before roasting) and refrigerated up to a day in advance. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while the oven is heating.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 8 ounces Mexican style pork chorizo
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups basmati or other long grain rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (3-4 pound) pumpkin or winter squash (I used kabocha)
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
To Serve:
- thinly sliced scallions
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Heat oil over medium heat in a large, deep frying pan. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add chorizo and garlic and cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon. Cook until chorizo melts in with the onion (it won't brown) about 5 minutes. Add rice and broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and let cook until rice has soaked up all the liquid, about 30 minutes. Rice might not be completely soft, that's okay, it will cook more in the pumpkin. Remove from heat and let rice cool slightly.
- While rice is cooling, cut the top off the pumpkin as you would if you were carving a jack-o-lantern. Keep the top, it will act as a lid. Scrape out all the seeds and stringy bits and discard, or save the seeds and roast them. Season the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper.
- When the rice has cooled a bit, fold in the cheese and raisins. Taste the filling and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Pack the filling into the pumpkin fairly tightly (you may have some filling leftover depending on the size of the pumpkin).
- Place the stuffed pumpkin on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet or an oven-safe frying pan that is large enough to hold it and pour the cream over the top of the filling. You may need to make a few holes in the filling to get the cream to go down to the bottom. Put the top back on and roast the pumpkin in the oven for 2 hours or until everything is bubbly and the flesh of the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove the top for the last 20 minutes to get a nice crisp crust on top.
- Remove from the oven, cut into wedges, and serve with some thinly sliced scallions sprinkled over the top and a few lemon wedges for squeezing.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0g
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Awww, Kate. I’m going to miss you terribly. It’s not too late to come with me. And if you decide you can’t, can I take Hiro? I don’t know what Henry will do without his bestie.
There are days when I wonder if he wouldn’t be better off with you. 🙂 But you could also just stay here and we wouldn’t need to be having this discussion. Thoughts? xoxoxo
I really can’t even get over this. I have to make it (only somehow without the cheese- wahhh!!) but boy it looks good!!
Thanks so much Heather! Stuffed pumpkin is one of God’s great inventions no matter how you do it.
This is such an awesome idea, Kate!
Thank you so much sweets!