Jack-O-Lantern Dinner!

Last year I found this recipe for a Jack-O-Lantern dinner in my sister's cook book and thought it looked fun. I think it has now become a Halloween/Fall tradition for our family. This is our second year of doing it and it's just as fun the second year. Placing a whole pumpkin in the middle of your table on a cute platter just sets the tone for the season and doubles as your center piece. If any of you are willing to sacrifice your pre-carved pumpkin give it a try. Josh loves it, I don't love the flavor of pumpkin and cooking the dinner in the pumpkin gives it a slight pumpkin taste. So it's not my most favorite "food" recipe but I love cooking the pumpkin whole. Plus is keeps your food warm for hours. I think I might take a soup to our ward Halloween party in the pumpkin instead of a crock pot.

Jack-O-Lantern Dinner

1 sm. to med. pumpkin

¾ c. chopped onion

1 to 2 T. butter

1 ½ lbs. ground beef

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. brown sugar

1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 ½ c. cooked rice

1 (4 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)

Start cooking your rice according to package directions. Cut off the pumpkin top and clean out all seeds and stringy pulp. Sauté onions in butter or oil in a large skillet. Add meat and brown. Drain off grease. Add soy sauce, sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Add cooked rice and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Pour mixture into pumpkin. Replace pumpkin top. Place the filled pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake at 350˚ F for one hour. The pumpkin itself should be tender when removed from the oven. Yields 5 to 6 servings.