Dinner In a Pumpkin

Dinner In a Pumpkin is a festive fall recipe with a hearty beef, rice, and vegetable filling baked and served in a pumpkin. It makes a fun fall tradition—either make one large pumpkin or multiple smaller pumpkins for individual servings.

Servings per Recipe: 6 servings

Calories per Serving: 483

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1 30

Total Time: 1 50

Ingredients

1 medium pumpkin, about 6 pounds
2 pounds ground beef
1 onion
3 carrots
10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
6.5 ounces canned sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cup cooked rice
8 ounces can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brown 2 pounds ground beef.
Chop 1 onion, slice 3 carrots and 1 celery stalk, and dice 1 green pepper.
Bring cooked beef, onion, carrots, 10 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup, 6.5 ounces canned sliced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon garlic salt, celery, green pepper, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 cup cooked rice, 8 ounces can sliced water chestnuts (drained), 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste to a boil in a pot and simmer for about 10 minutes.
While the beef mixture is simmering, cut the lid from 1 medium pumpkin and scoop out seeds and any strands, cleaning the inside.
Place the pumpkin in a sturdy baking pan and fill with the beef mixture. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may not be able to fit all of the stew mixture inside; bake any extra stew in a covered dish.
Place the lid on the pumpkin and bake at 350°F for approximately 1-1½ hours, or until pumpkin is tender and brown.

Notes

The filling can be prepped in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill and bake the pumpkin.

A fun variation of this recipe is to fill individual smaller pumpkins for each serving and serve in the pumpkin. Bake time may need to be adjusted for multiple smaller pumpkins.

Nutrition