Bring Something New to the Thanksgiving Table

This year, bring something new to the Thanksgiving table.

Do you have vegetarians coming to your home for the Thanksgiving holiday? And do you feel that to be a good host, you should serve a vegetarian dish that is elevated beyond the role of simple side? Why not make something this year that challenges the turkey for centerpiece of your holiday table?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pumpkin (4-5 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups Honey Whole Wheat bread from Great Harvest roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 pound baby Portobello mushrooms sliced
• 1 bunch kale, stem removed and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh sage chopped
• 3 large eggs whisked
• ½ cup skim milk
• ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly grated

DIRECTIONS

1. Hollow out the pumpkin (just as you would with a jack-o’-lantern). Season the inside with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place the pumpkin on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place chopped bread in a large mixing bowl. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and celery to the skillet, cooking until the onions begin to brown slightly. Reduce heat, adding the mushrooms and kale along with the remaining salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender and the kale leaves have softened. Transfer the vegetables to the mixing bowl with the bread. Fold in the thyme and sage. Add the whisked eggs, milk, and cheese to the bowl and stir until combined. Fill the pumpkin with the mixture, compressing if necessary so it all fits inside. Place pumpkin cap on the top to seal the pumpkin.
3. Bake for 90 minutes. Afterward, remove the cap to check to see if the mixture has settled in the pumpkin. Fluff as necessary, replace the cap, and continue to cook about 30 to 45 minutes longer until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a paring knife and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing registers at least 160°F.
4. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Carefully transfer to a platter . . . and watch jaws drop when you carve tableside!