Dinner in a Pumpkin

Tonight, I made dinner in a pumkin.

It was very appropriate for October. It was my first time making it and it was actually quite tasty. The boys approved. Plus it was fun to make!

I absolutely LOVE the canyon during the fall.

I just can't get enough of it.

Nick and I drove the alpine loop on Sunday.

It was beautiful.

Here's the recipe for the Dinner in a Pumpkin:

Select a pumpkin that's slightly flattened on the bottom. It should be sturdy, balanced, and able to easily stand on it's own.

• 1 medium to large size round pumpkin - about 7 to 10 pounds
• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1 can (16 oz.) pork & beans
• 1 can (16 oz.) cooked diced tomatoes
• 1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce
• 2 cups rice, uncooked
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preparation -
Wash the pumpkin. Cut a circular piece out of the top to form a lid. Scrape out the seeds and stringy membrane with a large metal spoon. Discard the seeds and membrane. Also check the bottom of the lid and scrape off and stringy residue.

In a large skillet, lightly brown the ground beef, then drain off any fat. Add the chopped onion and chopped green pepper. Saute lightly and drain again. In a large bowl, mix together the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pork & beans, rice, brown sugar, lemon juice and seasonings. Combine this mixture with the meat mixture. Stir to mix all the ingredients together.

Place the pumpkin on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Spoon the hamburger mixture into the pumpkin cavity. Loosely place the lid on the filled pumpkin. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for one hour. Remove the lid, reduce heat to 300° and bake for one more hour.

Place the filled baked pumpkin on a sturdy tray or cookie sheet. Lay a few romaine lettuce leaves or other leafy greens around the outside of the pumpkin.

When serving, scoop out part of the baked pumpkin with each portion, if desired. Serve with warm, crusty French or Italian bread.