22 January 2009

Dinner in a Pumpkin

I've had this dish at Halloween since I was a tiny kid up until now when I make it for my own family. It's wonderful and very season-appropriate.

1 small 10” pumpkin, top cut out (set aside) and seeds cleaned out and discard
Combine and fry until tender:
2 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. salt
2 ½ Tbsp. diced onion
1 tsp. oregano
1 clove minced garlic or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 lb. browned ground lean beef, drained (depending on width of pumpkin, can fit 1 ½ - 2 lbs. ground beef)
2 oz. ground ham
½ chopped green pepper
1 tsp. vinegar
3 eggs, beaten
2 c. cooked peas (optional)

Mix in 1 ½ c. cooked rice. Place all ingredients in pumpkin and replace pumpkin top. Bake at 350* on a cookie sheet for 1 hour (will have to put oven rack on lowest position). Serve dinner directly out of the pumpkin. (Be careful when removing the pumpkin from the oven as the cooking will have made the bottom very soft and it may fall through without support.)

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