Dinner in a Pumpkin
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Dinner in a Pumpkin is such a fun family tradition for Halloween. If your kids are anything like mine, they are going to love eating dinner out of a pumpkin.
Author:
Recipe type: Casserole/Halloween Dinner
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 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)
Instructions
  1. Wash the pumpkin.
  2. At the top of the pumpkin cut out a lid at a slant and thoroughly clean out the pulp and seeds.
  3. Depending on the size of your pumpkin move the top oven rack right above the bottom one or remove it.
  4. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  6. 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.)
  7. 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.
  8. Next, add the cooked rice and stir until well combined.
  9. Place the cleaned-out pumpkin on the prepared baking sheet and spoon the mixture into it.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Take the pumpkin out and let it cool for a minute if needed.
  14. To serve, spoon out some filling along with a scoop of pumpkin. Top with chow mein noodles if desired.
  15. Enjoy!
Recipe by Real Life Dinner at https://reallifedinner.com/dinner-in-a-pumpkin/