What is Dinner in a Pumpkin?
Dinner in a Pumpkin is a warm, hearty meal with the delicious flavors of fall. I always hope it will fill my kids tummies before trick-or-treating and prevent them from eating too much candy. One can always hope! The best part of this dinner is that the pumpkin cooks along with the casserole inside. Before serving the casserole, you scoop chunks of pumpkin from the inside and stir it into the casserole. The pumpkin is sweet and tender, similar to butternut squash, and it adds color and the sweet taste of pumpkin to the dish.
Ingredients for Dinner in a Pumpkin
Pumpkin – This is the key ingredient of Dinner in a Pumpkin. Make sure to pick a medium pumpkin that sits up well on its own so it will stay upright on the baking sheet. Sautéed Vegetables and Herbs – Diced onion, celery, mushrooms, and garlic are sautéed in brown butter to add a savory taste to the filling. For added flavor, throw in some sage and thyme. Ground Beef – For lack of a better term, this is the “meat” of the filling. Water Chestnuts – These add such a nice crunch to the filling. Rice – You can use white or brown rice to fill out this Dinner in a Pumpkin casserole. Cook rice ahead of time for quicker dinner prep. Sauce – The rich sauce for this casserole includes brown sugar, cream of chicken soup, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt & pepper.
Process
Preheat the oven to 375. Then, work on your pumpkin. Clean off the top and sides of the pumpkin so it is free of any dirt. Next, carve a hole in the top to make a lid. Angle your knife into the center of the pumpkin so that the pumpkin lid stays on during baking. Then, scoop out all the seeds and pulp.In a large skillet, sauté the vegetables and then brown the beef. Next, drain the grease from the meat. Then, add salt, pepper, and water chestnuts.In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, cream of chicken soup, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt & pepper. Then, add the beef mixture and the cooked rice. Stir until everything is coated in the sauce. Time to put the “Dinner in a Pumpkin”! Spoon mixture into the pumpkin. Then, replace the pumpkin lid. Next, place the pumpkin on a foil lined baking sheet. It will be heavy so be careful! Bake for an hour and fifteen minutes. The pumpkin should turn a deep reddish orange color. Check the inside of the pumpkin, it should scrape off easily. If it is still tough, bake for another 15 minutes and check again. Baking times can vary depending on the thickness of the pumpkin. Before serving, mix the casserole around and scrape the sides of the pumpkin so the meat of the pumpkin gets mixed in with the casserole.
Health Benefits of Pumpkin
Did you know there are many health benefits to eating pumpkin? Just ½ cup of pumpkin provides 100% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A which aids vision. Pumpkin is a rich source of the antioxidant beta carotene, and 1 cup of pumpkin has more potassium than a banana! Now, you can feel good about making Dinner in a Pumpkin for your family. Pumpkin seeds are also good for you, so don’t throw away the seeds when you clean out your pumpkin! You can turn them into a yummy treat as well – a treat that is much healthier to snack on than candy. 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!
Easy Clean-up!
If I haven’t convinced you to make this hearty and delicious Dinner in a Pumpkin for your family yet, I’ll throw in one more benefit – the clean up is super easy. Instead of having to scrub a casserole dish, you get to throw it away!
More Pumpkin Recipes
Now that you have a Dinner in a Pumpkin, serve some of these sweet pumpkin treats for dessert! Our Nothing Bundt Cake Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Pasties, and Easy Pumpkin Trifle make great recipes for holiday sweets. See more of our recipes below.
How to make Dinner in a Pumpkin
Pumpkin Pasties
Pumpkin Bread – 3 Ways!
Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Pumpkin Roll
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