Whole stuffed cheese pumpkin
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- To carve out the lid, use a short, sharp knife (preferably serrated) to cut out a circle midway between the stem and the outer edge of the pumpkin, as though starting a jack-o’-lantern. Use short strokes and a sawing motion. Lift out the lid and set it aside. Use your hands or a small sharp spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds and wet fibers. Rub a little oil over the outside of the pumpkin and set it in a baking pan or Dutch oven to catch the drips and the rare surprise collapses. Generously season the inside of the pumpkin with the salt and pepper.
- Place the bread in a medium bowl. Pour the half-and-half over the bread and set aside to soak until needed.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until well browned. Stir in the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the bacon is crisp and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds.
- Spoon half of the bacon mixture into the pumpkin. Top with half of the bread and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers. The pumpkin should be full, but not packed hard with stuffing. Replace the lid.
- Bake until a thin paring knife easily pierces the shell of the pumpkin, about 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving hot. You can serve it by slicing the pumpkin into wedges, or simply dig in with a giant spoon, making sure to scoop out some tender pumpkin flesh as part of each serving. The pumpkin and filling will stay warm for at least 1 hour, but the outside of the pumpkin starts to wrinkle as it cools and looks like Cinderella’s carriage in the wee hours after the ball.