It’s almost Halloween. While the kids are carving their pumpkins into scary faces for the big event, save one to make a delicious dinner in before you head out for all that candy.
This is the month when you can find a pumpkin patch on almost every corner and mountains of pumpkins in the grocery stores. While most people are buying the orange gourds to carve into scary faces for Halloween, you should buy one or two to cook with. Yes, buying the canned version is the easy way to cook pumpkin, but you’re missing out on two wonderful edible treats: pumpkin seeds and the gourd itself. What can you make with the gourd? A whole delicious dinner of ground beef, vegetables and your favorite sauces. It’s like dinner in a pot, but this time the pot’s edible and the perfect centerpiece for a Halloween party or family dinner.
Dinner in a pumpkin
Serves 10
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10 inch) pumpkin, cleaned and seeded
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about four minutes. Add the meat and cook until no longer pink, about five minutes. Drain and return to the skillet.
- Add the green pepper and cook two minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Place the pumpkin in a large baking dish. Pour the meat mixture into the pumpkin. Bake for one hour. Transfer pumpkin to a serving platter and serve immediately.
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Pumpkin gingerbread
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