Best Savory Stuffed Pumpkin with Sausage and Cornbread
- 6 mini pumpkins
- Rock salt for baking
- For the Sausage:
- 1.5 lbs pork butt
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- For the Cornbread:
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup corn meal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 each eggs
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 tbs Canola oil
- For Stuffing:
- 1 tbs Canola oil
- 1.5 stalks celery, diced small
- 1/3 medium onion, diced small
- 1 to 2.5 cups chicken stock
Pumpkins:
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Pour rock salt onto rimmed baking tray in a thick layer.
- Place mini pumpkins onto rock salt on baking tray.
- Cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes.
- Pumpkins are done when tender, but hold their shape.
- Cut out the top and scoop out the seeds and some flesh leaving about ½ inch of flesh.
Cornbread:
- Turn oven up to 425F
- Heat up a cast iron pan in oven with 1 tbs Canola Oil for 5 minutes.
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- Pour batter in the hot pan and put in oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- To see if the cornbread is done, stick a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. If it comes out clean, it is done.
Sausage:
NOTE: You may substitute with a mild italian ground sausage from the store.
1. Dice the pork into inch size cubes.
2. Mix all ingredients in a big bowl.
3. Grind the meat mix in a meat grinder.
Stuffing:
1. Heat up a pan with 1 tbs oil on the stove on medium-high heat.
2. Sweat both onion and celery until translucent. About 5 minutes.
3. Add in the sausage mix and cook until browned. Break up sausage as it cooks with the back of a wooden spoon. About 20 minutes.
4. Crumble up 1/3 of the cornbread and add into the sausage mix.
5. Add in chicken stock in half cup increments until you've reached the desired consistency.
6. Stuff the pumpkins with stuffing to the top.
7. Heat up in oven until warm all throughout. About 10 minutes.
8. Top with Brown Butter Sage Vinaigrette (Recipe linked below) and chopped pepitas.
