Halloween has always been a fun time of year for us. Halloween costumes were made for both kids in September. Once October hit, decorations would go up and the party planning would start. We would have pumpkin carving parties the weekend before Halloween. Adults & older kids carved pumpkins and there would be Halloween crafts and games for the younger kids. It was fun and messy, and we looked forward to it every year. We always got compliments on our carved pumpkins from Trick or Treaters when the pumpkins were lit up on the porch on Halloween night. I’m always on the lookout for more carving stencils to add to our already impressive collection!

Halloween, 2008 pumpkins

On Halloween night, there would be a special Halloween dinner. I love pumpkin and always tried for a pumpkin dish to do on that night. I came across a fun Halloween pumpkin dinner recipe back in the late ’90s. I thought it was different, seasonal & tasty. It also fit the additional Halloween dinner requirements of easy & do-ahead! It can be put together ahead of time then stuck in the oven for an hour or two so it is ready when the kids get back from Trick or Treating. By doing most of the work ahead of time, you won’t be at a crucial step in the dinner making process when the doorbell rings and you’re the only one there to give out candy. And if you’re the one taking the kids around for treats, the cooking time is flexible, so it doesn’t matter if you hit the houses with the good candy an extra time or two! Even though our kids are way past the Trick or Treating stage, we still make this for Halloween night dinner!

Dinner in a Pumpkin  (adapted from food.com)

Servings:  6    Prep Time:  1 hours  Cook Time:  1-2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms
• 1 (15 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts

Directions:

Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out the pulp and seeds.

The pumpkin becomes a seasonal cooking and serving dish.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the meat and brown it. Drain the meat drippings from the skillet.

Brown the ground beef after the onions and garlic are done.

Add the soy sauce, hot sauce, mushrooms, brown sugar and soup.  Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mushrooms, soup, brown sugar, hot sauce & soy sauce go into the mixture.

Add the cooked rice and the water chestnuts, mixing thoroughly.

The rice and water chestnuts are mixed in last.

Spoon the mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell.  Replace the pumpkin top and place the entire pumpkin, with the filling, on a baking sheet. Bake the filled pumpkin for 1 hour at 350°F or until the inside meat of the pumpkin is tender.

The filling can also be put into a 2-quart casserole dish instead of into a pumpkin. Heat for 1/2 hour to an hour if it is not in a pumpkin.

Put the pumpkin on a plate. Remove the pumpkin lid and serve the meat filling out of the pumpkin. The pumpkin meat can be scooped from the skin or sliced up into wedges to be served for the vegetable.

A fun, seasonal dinner!

Then have some of that awesome candy the kids collected (or you gave out!) for dessert! Happy Halloween!  ~Linda

Dinner in a Pumpkin  (adapted from food.com)

Servings:  6    Prep Time:  1 hours  Cook Time:  1-2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms
• 1 (15 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts

Directions:

Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out the pulp and seeds.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the meat and brown it. Drain the meat drippings from the skillet.

Add the soy sauce, hot sauce, mushrooms, brown sugar and soup.  Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked rice and the water chestnuts, mixing thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell.  Replace the pumpkin top and place the entire pumpkin, with the filling, on a baking sheet. Bake the filled pumpkin for 1 hour at 350°F or until the inside meat of the pumpkin is tender.

Put the pumpkin on a plate. Remove the pumpkin lid and serve the meat filling out of the pumpkin. The pumpkin meat can be scooped from the skin or sliced up into wedges to be served for the vegetable.