Delicious and nutritious, stuffed pumpkin is the perfect bottom treat if you’re looking for something savory.
Ingredients
1 pound extra lean ground beef or bison
2 microwave packets of brown rice
1/2 yellow onion
1-2 carrots, chopped thinly
1-2 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
2 cups finely chopped spinach
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil oil
2 eggs
1 pie pumpkin, washed on the outside, with guts and seeds removed (not the flesh)
Lawrys seasoned salt and pepper to taste
1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 – this will cook for two hours, so if you need it faster (in an hour) preheat to 400. Make sure to lower your oven racks so there’s room for the pumpkin to be in the middle of the oven to cook for height.
Prick the inside of the pumpkin with a fork and lightly salt.
If you’re using the fast method, put your lid on your pumpkin and put it in the oven at 400 now. It will be done in an hour or so when the flesh is fork tender and you’ll scoop the filling into it right before serving. Continue with the instructions for the filling while it bakes.
If using the traditional method and cooking the whole pumpkin stuffed:
Heat a large pan, melt the butter and add olive oil. Then, sauté all vegetables, except spinach, until soft.
Add ground beef and brown.
Meanwhile, microwave you brown rice. When it’s done, dump it into a bowl and set it aside.
Drain any excess grease from the meat mixture and return it to the pan.
Stir in the eggs and fry until cooked through.
Add spinach and stir until softened.
Add the meat mixture to the rice and stir to combine. Stir in cheese if using (I usually don’t but it is tasty).
Place mixture into prepared pumpkin and put the pumpkin lid back on. There will probably be some mixture left over just cover it and set it aside.
Place the whole pumpkin on a cookie sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 2 – 2.5 hours at 350. It’s done when the pumpkin flesh is fork tender.
To serve, take the whole pumpkin to the table. Remove the lid and scoop out filling with scraped pumpkin flesh into waiting bowls or plates.