At first glance, the ingredients are an interesting combination, but they really work together. This Dinner in a Pumpkin is like Hawaiian Haystacks. They both have a funny combination of ingredients. It’s not that they taste the same, but because both have surprisingly delicious results.
Once the casserole ingredients are baked in a pumpkin, the combined flavors really taste good together. As you take a scoop out, you also take a scoop of pumpkin. It’s so fun! Some kids will not want to eat the pumpkin because it’s squash-like. However, I think it’s really yummy together, and it’s a whole balanced meal with the pumpkin.
My least favorite part of this recipe is cleaning out the pumpkin guts. When my kids carve and dig out pumpkin guts, I leave the house. I have carved pumpkins myself, but I think I have reached a level of maturity that I don’t have to anymore 🙂 So this time, I had my husband do it for me, and he did it really fast. I should give it another try, but I don’t want to.
On the actual day of Halloween, I usually don’t have this meal. Instead, I make something easy in the crockpot, like chili. But it’s fun to have during the week of Halloween or the day before. If your kids are anything like mine, they will love eating dinner out of a pumpkin.
Halloween Treats
- Witches Hats and Broomsticks
- Jello Popcorn Balls with Mini Marshmallows
- Halloween Candy Pancakes
- Jello Sugar Cookies
- Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip
- Easy Brown Sugar Caramel Corn
Step-by-Step Photos for How to Make Dinner in a Pumpkin
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips about How to Make Dinner in a Pumpkin
Will ground turkey work in place of ground beef?
Yes, ground turkey is a good substitution. I haven’t tried it, but I think Italian Sausage would be yummy.
How do I prevent the lid from falling into the pumpkin while cooking?
Cut the lid at a slant instead of straight up and down to prevent it from falling into the pumpkin. You can also secure the lid with toothpicks to keep it from falling in.
Can I draw a face on the pumpkin?
My mom used a Sharpie to draw a jack-o-lantern face on the pumpkin before she placed it in the oven. If you choose to draw a face on the pumpkin, you need to do it before it’s cooked because the pumpkin rind will be too slick to write on afterward.
What is the best type of rice for this recipe?
I used regular white rice and precooked it. Using minute rice will be faster. You do not have to wait 20 minutes for the rice to cook. I have seen some recipes that use wild rice. Whatever type of rice you use, it must be cooked before adding it to the mixture.
How do you store leftovers?
Put the whole pumpkin with the casserole inside and lid on in the refrigerator, or scoop out the filling and any pumpkin into an airtight container and store it in the fridge. The leftovers taste really good and warm up easily in the microwave.
Tips:
- Do not carve out a face in the pumpkin. The ingredients will fall out and will not steam cook the same way.
- If you drain the fat from the ground beef, salt the ground beef afterward so you don’t lose the flavor.
- Make sure to add the water chestnuts. Adding them sounds weird, but don’t leave them out. The chestnuts add a crunch and flavor to the delicious factor.
- My mom always used canned mushrooms, but you can definitely use 1 cup fresh mushrooms sautéd with the ground beef.
- You can substitute Hawaiian Haystack’s gravy for the cream of chicken soup.
- To add another vegetable, you can throw in a cup of peas. I do not add peas, but I have seen it in other recipes.
- My kids love to eat this dinner with chow-mein noodles on top. I keep chow-mein noodles around the house for my kids who are a little funny about eating casseroles or stir fry. If I put a little chow-mein noodles on top, they will eat it.
Chef’s Tools:
- Chef’s Knives
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheets
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Can Opener
The "Best" Recipes with Pumpkin
- 1 medium-sized pumpkin (a basketball size)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼-1/2 tsp salt (Taste right before adding mixture to pumpkin. Add more if needed.)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 (4 or 8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms or 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
- 2-3 cups cooked rice
- Chow mein noodles for topping (optional)
- Wash the pumpkin.
- At the top of the pumpkin cut out a lid at a slant and thoroughly clean out the pulp and seeds.
- Depending on the size of your pumpkin move the top oven rack right above the bottom one or remove it.
- Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a large skillet brown the ground beef and onions with ¼ tsp salt. (If using fresh mushrooms, brown them with the ground beef and onions.)
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, cream of chicken soup, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. Let the mixture come to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Next, add the cooked rice and stir until well combined.
- Place the cleaned-out pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet and spoon the mixture into it.
- Put the lid on the pumpkin. If you are worried the lid will fall into the pumpkin while it's cooking, you can secure it with toothpicks.
- Bake for 1½ to 2 hours or until the inside of the pumpkin is cooked. If you use two small pumpkins, it might only take 1 to 1½ hours, or a really big pumpkin might take 2 to 2½ hours.
- To check if the pumpkin is done, take the lid off and stick a fork into the pumpkin flesh inside. If the flesh is soft, darker and shrunken, then it is done. A soft lid is also an indication it is done.
- Take the pumpkin out and let it cool for a minute if needed.
- To serve, spoon out some filling along with a scoop of pumpkin. Top with chow mein noodles if desired.
- Enjoy!
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