1 small 4-6 lb. pumpkin
1 lb sweet or hot sausage
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. coarsely chopped mushrooms
4 cups cooked rice
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. thyme
pinch of ground sage
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3 tbsp. 100% pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cut out a circle from the washed pumpkin at the top around the stem. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and save for toasting.

Bake seedless pumpkin in a pan filled with 1-inch of water for about 30 minutes. Remove pumpkin from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Remove sausage casings and discard. Brown the sausage in oil with onions and garlic, breaking up large pieces. Drain. Stir in mushrooms and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and sausages have browned. Do not allow garlic to brown.

Stir in rice, 1/2 cup cheese, thyme and sage. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper or a little garlic powder, if needed. Add chopped parsley to eggs and beat slightly until mixed. Stir in eggs and maple syrup; mix well.

Fill pumpkin with mixture; add remaining cheese over top.

Bake pumpkin for about 40 minutes. Spoon out sausage to serve. Using a spoon, scrape/scoop a little of the pumpkin to serve as a side. Top pumpkin with a pat of butter.

Submitted by: CM