Wild Mushroom and Bacon Stuffed Winter Squash

By Chris Yuille

November 3, 2025

Serves

In this Recipe

Heritage Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ingredients

Small winter squash8

Flamingo Estate Olive Oil, plus more to garnish6 tbsp

Salt and pepper, to taste

Smoked bacon, diced1 lb

Onion, diced1

Thyme, picked4 sprigs

Wild mushrooms, sliced1 lb

Walnuts, roasted and roughly chopped1 cup

Gruyere cheese, grated1 lb

Heavy cream2 ½ cups

½ nutmeg, freshly grated

Flamingo Estate Wildflower Honey2 tbsp

Steps

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the tops off of each squash and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Brush the squash, inside and out, with approx 2 tbsp Flamingo Estate Olive Oil, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a lined baking sheet.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until completely rendered and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, discarding excess bacon fat.
Add 2 tbsp Flamingo Estate Olive Oil to the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and thyme leaves, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onions are sweet and completely soft, another ten minutes. Combine with the rendered bacon.
Clean the skillet, then place on high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp Flamingo Estate Olive Oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Fry until golden and only just beginning to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Gently combine with the bacon/onion mixture, along with the gruyere cheese and walnuts. Pack the mixture tightly into the hollowed-out squash.
Mix cream and nutmeg in a measuring jug and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cream into the pumpkin cavities. You may not need all the cream. Top the squash with their lids and roast until very tender. This will take about 1 hour, but will vary depending on your squash. Remove the lids and bake until the stuffing is golden brown, another ten minutes. Serve drizzled with Flamingo Estate Wildflower Honey and more Olive Oil.