I’m in Mesa visiting my grandson and his family this weekend
while they host a Halloween party. As their occasional “resident chef” I wanted
to make something that would be truly memorable. I found this recipe online and
with a few little Candy tweaks, found it to be the perfect dish for a potluck
party. It would also be a great presentation for a Thanksgiving dinner. Try it
and let me know what you think!
Dinner in a Pumpkin
1 large pumpkin (measure your oven if you want to double
this recipe and use a really big pumpkin), top cut straight off and seeds
scooped out
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 yellow onion, finely minced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cans beef stock
1 package long grain and wild rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 small cans mushrooms stems and pieces (optional)
2 cans French cut green beans
Mix together brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice; rub on
inside of pumpkin.
Cook meat over medium heat in large skillet, seasoning with
salt and pepper to taste. Mix in chicken stock and rice. Bring to a boil and
reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until rice is done.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix remaining ingredients with meat/rice mixture. Spoon into
prepared pumpkin, replace top. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake at
least 2 hours, until pumpkin is tender. To serve, scoop out filling along with
pieces of pumpkin.
