Spicy Stuffed & Baked Pumpkin

• 1 sugar pumpkin, about 3 pounds
• 1 cube room temperature salted butter on hand, won't use it all
• 2-1/4 cups stale baguette, torn into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1-1/4 cup cheese, combo of Gruyere or Jarlsberg & Pepper Jack, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup black forest ham, diced into small cubes
• 1 medium granny smith apple, diced into small cubes
• 2 small diced Jalapeno, seeds included
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
• 2-4 garlic cloves (to taste), coarsely chopped
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• Salt to taste and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 325u0b0F.
2. Cut off the top of the pumpkin, creating a lid about 4 inches in diameter, de-seed it. Set aside until needed.rnScoop the seeds and strings out of the pumpkin.
3. Rub the cut side of the lid and the inside of the pumpkin with the 1 tablespoon room-temperature butter. Place the pumpkin, cut side up, in a deep baking dish or pan that you can bring to the table. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl combine the baguette, cheese and ham. Set aside until needed.
5. In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the apple, jalapeno, onion and garlic, stir until soft, about 8 minutes. Fold into the bread mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stuff the pumpkin until it is just about filled; then pour cream, one tablespoon at a time, to within 1 inch of the rim; enough to moisten the filling. Fit the lid onto the pumpkin.
7. Bake until the pumpkin begins to soften and brown on the outside and the stock bubbles on the inside, 11/2 to 2 hours.
8. To serve, use a spoon to carefully scrape the walls of the pumpkin to remove some tender pumpkin flesh with each serving of stuffing; it's up to you, you could eat the skin too, just cut the pumpkin into slices to serve...I've not tried that.
9. Best served as soon as it's ready. If you have leftovers, cut the pumpkin into slices, cover, chill and reheat the next day.

sugar, butter, stale baguette, cheese, black forest ham, granny smith apple, sweet onion, garlic, heavy cream, salt

Taken from food52.com/recipes/24900-spicy-stuffed-baked-pumpkin (may not work)