Halloween Cassoulet Stuffed Pumpkin

Whether you are throwing a grownup Halloween party, having a pre trick-or-treat family dinner, or just want something cool for you and your partner, this Halloween Cassoulet Stuffed Pumpkin is exactly what you're looking for. Cassoulet is a French white bean and meat stew cooked in a casserole dish. This version is cooked inside a pumpkin and uses a combination of ham and sausage to mimic the intestines and guts. When you cut the pumpkin open tableside, all the insides come out in a gory but delicious display. You can find the recipe directly below but keep reading for a more detailed explanation.

Preparing The Pumpkin

Buying the right type of pumpkin

The pumpkin you want to use for this recipe isn't your typical jack-o-lantern pumpkin. These are smaller, more tender, and will likely be sold as pie pumpkins. Essentially, these are eating pumpkins. If you can't find one, a large buttercup squash will work as well.

Wash and clean the pumpkin

To start, wash the outside of the pumpkin with hot water and a scrub brush. Make sure to remove any dirt. Next, cut the top off the pumpkin like you would when making a jack-o-lantern. Make sure to angle your knife slightly, so the lid fits back on the pumpkin rather than falling in. Cut the seeds and pith off the top and set it aside. Use a spoon to scrape the inside of the pumpkin. Remove all the seeds and loose bits. Put the pumpkin in a casserole dish and move on to the filling.

Preparing The Cassoulet

Vegetables

Start the cassoulet by preparing the vegetables. You will need 1 cup of sliced onion, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, ¼ cup of diced celery, a ¼ cup of diced carrots, and 1 diced Roma tomato.

The Cassoulet Meat

For the meat element of the cassoulet, I used summer sausage, ham and plain breakfast sausages. If you can't find summer sausage, a good quality salami would work well. In total, you want about ½ a cup of diced ham and ½ a cup of diced summer sausage or salami.

Sausage

As I said, I used plain breakfast sausages for this. These are not a traditional ingredient, but in keeping with the Halloween theme, I wanted the sausage to be whole to mimic intestines when it all comes spewing out of the pumpkin. You can use a different variety of sausage you'd like, but these work very well for the presentation. And, the flavour works well with the overall taste of the cassoulet. Roast the sausages for 15 minutes in a 350°f oven, flipping them halfway through.

Other Ingredients

The other cassoulet ingredients are 1 cup of canned white kidney beans, ¼ cup white wine, ¾ cup chicken stock, and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme.

Preparing The Halloween Cassoulet

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions soften. Next, add the diced meat and tomatoes. Cook for another 3 minutes before adding the thyme and white wine. Continue to cook the mixture until the wine has all but evaporated. Add the sausages and chicken stock along with a big pinch of pepper. Don't add any salt as enough will come out of the sausage and ham. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the beans and give it a taste.

Stuffing the Pumpkin

Carefully transfer the cassoulet mixture into the pumpkin. Put the lid on the pumpkin and bake at 350°f for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft to the touch but not falling apart. Take the Halloween Cassoulet Stuffed Pumpkin out of the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve. To serve, you can scoop the stew out of the pumpkin then cut the pumpkin into pieces, or you can cut the pumpkin with the stew still in it and watch it come pouring out for a delightfully disgusting Halloween display.

The Wrap-Up

A few days ago, I was asked to prepare a Halloween recipe on local morning television. I had no idea what I was going to make, but after some thought, this Halloween Cassouelt Stuffed Pumpkin was what I came up with, and I have to tell you, I am pretty pleased with myself. Not only does it taste great and look amazing, but it is also the perfect Halloween-themed dinner though I can see myself making this a few more times this year. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!