Dinner in a Pumpkin

(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

View the print-ready version of this recipe.

Why I love this recipe:

Fun—Every kid will remember eating dinner out of a pumpkin! I make this baked stuffed pumpkin recipe every year in the month of October, sometimes on Halloween night.

Delicious—Flavorful sausage cooked with vegetables and rice is picky eater approved.

Easy—Only a few ingredients and simple steps to make such a fun Halloween dinner memory eating out of a pumpkin. You can even make the filling and stuff the pumpkin ahead of time, so dinner is ready for the oven.

How to make Dinner in a Pumpkin

Prep Pumpkin: Cut the top off of the pumpkin, leaving a large enough opening to fit your hand and a spoon inside to removed seeds (like you would a Jack-o-lantern). Clean out the seeds and insides of the pumpkin until the inner walls of the pumpkin are smooth. Season the inside of the pumpkin with some salt and pepper.

(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Make Filling: Remove casings from sausage and add to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned. Use paper towels to blot out some of the grease, if necessary. Add onion, carrots, bell pepper and celery then sauté for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage and salt and pepper. Stir in cooked wild rice.

(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Bake: Spoon mixture into pumpkins then place the lid/stem back on top. Place the pumpkin on a lined or greased baking sheet then place it on the lowest rack of your oven (or whatever rack positions the pumpkin to cook in the center of the oven). Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the inside pumpkin flesh is tender when poked with a fork.

(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Serve: Scoop some of the delicious cooked pumpkin from the sides of the pumpkin as you spoon the sausage dinner in a pumpkin into bowls. Top with hot sauce then additional salt and pepper, if desired. Don’t forget to roast your pumpkin seeds!

(Courtesy of Lauren Allen)

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The meat and rice filling mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, stored in the fridge. Add to pumpkin before baking. The entire pumpkin, with filling could be assembled a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

To Freeze: Spoon the mixture in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Recipe Variations:

Wild Rice: I love using wild rice in this dish, but any type of rice or quinoa would work.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Servings 6 Calories 340 Prep 15 minutes Cook 1 hour hr Total 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins Equipment: Meat Chopper

Ingredients

• 3 (6 inch) pumpkin pie pumpkins (or 1 regular medium-size pumpkin)
• 1 pound Italian sausage mild, or hot, casings removed
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 cup red bell pepper , diced
• 1 large carrot , shredded
• 2 ribs celery , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme , chopped, (or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary , chopped, (or ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary)
• 2 teaspoons fresh sage , chopped, (or ¾ teaspoon dried sage)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 cups cooked wild rice

Instructions

Prep Pumpkin: Cut the top off of the pumpkin, leaving a large enough opening to fit hand and spoon inside to remove seeds (like you would a Jack-o-lantern). Clean out the seeds and insides of the pumpkin until the inner walls of the pumpkin are smooth. Season the inside of the pumpkin with some salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown Meat: Remove casings from sausage and add to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned. Use paper towels to blot out some of the grease, if necessary.

Add Veggies: Add onion, carrots, bell pepper and celery and sauté for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage and salt and pepper. Stir in cooked wild rice.

Spoon mixture into pumpkins and place the lid/stem back on top.

Bake: Place the pumpkin on a lined or greased baking sheet and place it on the lowest rack of your oven (or whatever rack positions the pumpkin to cook in the center of the oven). Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the inside pumpkin flesh is tender when poked with a fork.

Serve: Scoop some of the delicious cooked pumpkin from the sides of the pumpkin as you spoon the mixture out into bowls. Top with hot sauce and additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Notes

Yield: Each 6 inch pumpkin will serve two people. (Recipes serves 6)

Make Ahead Instructions: The meat and rice filling mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, stored in the fridge. Add to pumpkin before baking. The entire pumpkin, with filling could be assembled a day ahead of time, stored in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions: Spoon the mixture in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Sodium: 963mg, Potassium: 408mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2920 IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 2mg

This article was originally published on tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Follow on Instagram.