Dinner in a Pumpkin

User Reviews

5.0

51 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    30 mins

  • Cook Time

    1 hr 30 mins

  • Total Time

    2 hrs

  • Servings

    8

  • Calories

    497 kcal

  • Cuisine

    American

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Dinner in a Pumpkin is a hearty casserole cooked right inside a pumpkin! Perfect for serving on Halloween night before the kids go trick-or-treating.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 pumpkin medium
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion small, diced
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced (canned mushrooms also work)
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 8 ounces water chestnuts
  • salt and pepper
  • 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 4 cups cooked rice white or brown
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Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Thoroughly wash and dry the outside of the pumpkin. Cut the top off the pumpkin and clean out the pulp and seeds. Place the pumpkin on the baking sheet. Save the top.
  2. In a large skillet, sauté onion, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in butter. Add ground beef, sage, and thyme and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the grease from the beef. Add salt, pepper, and water chestnuts.
  3. In a large bowl, mix soup, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce.
  4. Add ground beef mixture and cooked rice to the bowl. Mix until everything is evenly coated with sauce. Empty bowl into the cleaned out pumpkin and replace pumpkin top. Bake for 1 hour on the lower rack of the oven, or on the rack where the pumpkin can be most centered in the oven.
  5. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, remove the top and check the sides of the pumpkin for doneness. The outside of the pumpkin will turn a dark orange, and the inside of the pumpkin should be tender and easily scoop off the sides with a spoon.
  6. If the inside of the pumpkin is still not fully cooked, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin. Sometimes I've cooked the pumpkin as long as an hour and a half before it is ready.
  7. Using hot pads, place the pumpkin onto a serving plate, remove the lid, and stir. Be sure to scoop off chunks of cooked pumpkin into the casserole as it is served. That's the best part!

Notes

  • Don't throw away the seeds when you clean out your pumpkin! You can turn them into a yummy treat as well! Pumpkin seeds are packed with magnesium, protein, and zinc. You can toss them with butter and salt and roast them in the oven, or for more flavor, you can season them. This Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds recipe is my favorite!

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 497kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 51g (17%) Protein 21g (42%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 75mg (25%) Sodium 734mg (31%) Potassium 1022mg (29%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 14747IU (295%) Vitamin C 18mg (20%) Calcium 96mg (10%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 497 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 497kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 51g 17%
Protein 21g 42%
Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 734mg 31%
Potassium 1022mg 22%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 14747IU 295%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Calcium 96mg 10%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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Overall Rating

5.0

51 reviews
Excellent

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