Dinner in a Pumpkin II

Ground beef, rice and vegetables in a creamy sauce are baked in a whole pumpkin in this dinner for six.

• Calories: 1382 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ cup shortening
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cups diced celery
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small sugar pumpkin
• 1 (20 ounce) bottle ketchup
• 5 pounds lean ground beef
• 5 teaspoons salt

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 Degrees C). Cut off top of pumpkin, scrape out seeds and pith.

Step 2

In a large deep skillet, saute vegetables in 1/4 cup shortening until soft. Add beef; cook and crumble until evenly brown. Add the pepper, ketchup, garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the beef mixture, soy sauce, mushrooms, brown sugar, soup and rice. Mix well, pour into pumpkin and replace lid. Cover and freeze remaining beef mixture.

Step 4

Place filled pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for one hour or until pumpkin is tender. As you serve dinner, be sure to scoop out a little of the cooked pumpkin too.