Family Traditions…And #Bacon.

I’m not big into holiday traditions, particularly. We have a few–a special Christmas Tree Adventure when we cut down our tree with friends, Christmas morning pancakes. But there is one tradition we do every year. Sometimes with friends, sometimes just as a family.

Seriously. This is a fall tradition, and we usually invite a house full of friends and make two or three pumpkins.

I first heard about this on an NPR story back in 2010. (Link to the original program here. It’s fantastic!) We made it a couple of days later, and we’ve made it every year since. The fun part is hollowing out the pumpkin!

First, cut off the tops.

Naturally, make sure you know how to put them back on again.

 

 

 

I modified a few things (more bacon, no nutmeg).

 

 

 

 

But I don’t play around with the recipe otherwise. You could add all sorts of things in there–different meats or spices, dried fruits or nuts. Maybe some sweet foodstuffs–but we like it just the way it is. And, as it’s a once a year fall tradition, we like to keep it the same each year.

 

You can follow the original recipe by Dorie Greenspan (who is amazing), or you can follow my modified version. But if you ever get a hankering, shove that thing full of crusty bread, Gruyere cheese, chives, a titch of salt-n-pepper, and minced garlic, then pour in about a 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

Make sure you salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin before stuffing.

Bake it for about an hour and a half at 350, until a knife slides all the way through the pumpkin skin.

 Don’t put in too much cream, or it bubbles out and burns.

Do put down tin foil, in case you put in too much cream.

(Not that I’ve EVER done that.)

No, it’s not good for you. Yes, it’s delicious.

That’s why we only do it once a year!