Dinner in a Pumpkin

What is Dinner in a Pumpkin you ask? It is a delicious yummy Halloween treat! Why not send your kids out trick or treating with a warm yummy soup in their bellies! It is easy and SO good! It is one of my very favorite Halloween traditions!If you don't remember my "pumpkin puree" recipe post, you can check it out here.
I really like to gut and bake the small pie pumpkins (also called sugar pumpkins). If you aren't aware of the difference, you can ask a worker at the store you are at. They are SO good for you, very very high in anti-oxidants, low calorie, and high in fiber. We literally bake the pumpkin, put some butter on it, and eat it as a side dish to a meal. So when we make this recipe, I HIGHLY suggest doing it in a pie pumpkin as opposed to a normal carving pumpkin. I do know several people who cook it in a normal pumpkin, however. I personally think they are rather bitter to eat, but that's my preference. If you go to Cochrane's Produce (next to the Neighborhood Walmart in South Ogden), you can buy the pie pumpkins 4 for $1! Can't beat that. Or you can get them at the Neighborhood Walmart in South Ogden right as you're going in the store. You will see a big bin of them (they are smaller than a normal pumpkin, and darker orange usually). They are $.58 per pound. So they are more expensive, but the cooking directions are on a big orange sticker at the bottom of the pumpkin. Again, be sure to double-check and ask before you buy one. So worth it!

Dinner in a Pumpkin
Ingredients:
1 (10-12 inch) pumpkin (DEFINITELY prefer a pie (or sweet) pumpkin!)
3 c. cooked rice (I like brown rice)
1 lb. browned hamburger (for healthier version, try ground turkey burger, or a leaner hamburger. Yum-o)
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4-1/2 c. brown sugar
1 can of mushrooms (we use fresh but whatever you prefer)
1 can cream soup (chicken, celery, or mushroom whatever you prefer)
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. onion (chopped)
(we also add a can of corn but that is optional)

Cut off a lid to your pumpkin, and dig out all of the "guts." I like to scrape the insides really well, so there aren't any of the slimy, stringy things in there to eat. I tend to be a bit perfectionistic, though.

Brown hamburger. Cook rice according to pkg. directions. Saute celery and onion in butter. Stir all ingredients together and place in cleaned pumpkin. Put pumpkin 'lid' on top. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours. When serving, scrape cooked pumpkin off sides to eat, too!

Can use permanent marker to make a jack-o-lantern face on pumpkin.

I like to garnish it with lite sour cream!