Cheesy Pumpkins
Description
A delicious and comforting dish of small roasted pumpkins stuffed with a savoury filling of leeks and cheese. A perfect autumnal meal.
Ingredients
- 4 small pumpkins or gourds (e.g., Munchkin, Jack Be Little)
- 2 medium leeks
- 150g strong cheddar cheese, grated
- 25g butter (or oil)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Equipment Needed
- Oven
- Baking tray
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Spoon or ice cream scoop
- Frying pan
Preparation Time
- Prep: 25 minutes
- Cook: 40-50 minutes
- Total: 65-75 minutes
Servings
Serves 2-4 people (1-2 pumpkins per person)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas Mark 6).
- Carefully slice the top off each pumpkin to create a lid. Set the lids aside.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from inside the pumpkins and discard them. Then, scoop out some of the pumpkin flesh, leaving a wall about 1cm thick. Chop the removed flesh finely.
- Wash the leeks thoroughly, trim the ends, and slice them thinly.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced leeks (and minced garlic, if using) and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened but not browned.
- Add the chopped pumpkin flesh to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes until it starts to soften.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in most of the grated cheese (saving a little for the top) and the thyme leaves (if using). Season well with salt and pepper.
- Divide the leek and cheese mixture between the hollowed-out pumpkins, pressing it down gently.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the filling in each pumpkin.
- Place the stuffed pumpkins and their lids on a baking tray.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the pumpkin shell is tender (you can test this by piercing it with a knife) and the filling is golden and bubbling. You can place the lids back on for the last 10 minutes of cooking if you like.
- Serve hot, one or two pumpkins per person.
Notes
- The type of small pumpkin isn't critical, any small winter squash will work.
- You can vary the filling by adding things like cooked bacon, mushrooms, or different herbs.
- For a richer flavour, you could add a splash of double cream to the filling mixture before stuffing the pumpkins.