SAVORY STUFFED PUMPKIN (or Dinner-In-A-Pumpkin)

[PattyInAK]

I got this recipe published in one of the Taste of Home annual cookbooks!   

SAVORY STUFFED PUMPKIN
1.5 lbs. ground beef
I medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 4oz. can sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 large pumpkin (8-9 pounds)*
Vegetable oil

In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion
until meat is no longer pink. Drain well.
Add soup, mushrooms, soy sauce and brown sugar.
Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the rice and water chestnuts.
Wash pumpkin. Cut a 6 inch circle around stem.
Remove top and set aside. Discard seeds and loose fibers from the inside.
Spoon beef mixture into pumpkin and replace top.
Place on a greased 15"x10"x1" baking pan. Rub oil over outside of pumpkin.
Bake, uncovered at 350F for 1-1/2 hours or until pumpkin is tender.
Scoop out some pumpkin with each serving of the beef mixture.
Freshly baked bread and raw veggies go well with this.
Yield: about 6 servings.
Leftovers are great the next day.


* Make sure the pumpkin will fit in your oven!