Now that pumpkin season is here, try this as soon as you get your hands on one! It is delicious and a big tradition in our family!! Great for entertaining too!
- 1 small to medium pumpkin
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 (4oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
- 1 (10 3/4oz) can cream-of-chicken soup
- 1 1/2 C cooked rice
- 1 (8oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Cut off the top of pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp. Paint an appropriate face on the front of the pumpkin with a permanent marking pen or acrylic paint. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. Add meat and brown. Drain drippings from skillet. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms & soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet. Bake 1 hr. or until inside meat of pumpkin is tender. Put pumpkin on a plate, remove top and serve. When stirring, go ahead and scrape some of the flesh off into your casserole! Serves 6
Enjoy!
Note: You may also simply cook the casserole until almost done and then put it in pumpkin shell and cook for 20 minutes.
