Delicious Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe for Thanksgiving
This remarkable savory stuffed pumpkin will undoubtedly be the pièce de résistance of your Thanksgiving party!
Prep Time50 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 50 mins
Ingredients
- 5-6 pounds of a pumpkin
- 1.5 pound of minced/ground beef
- 0.75 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 small green pepper (chopped)
- 8 ounces of tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups cooked rice
- 2 eggs beaten
- 0.5 cup of finely chopped full cooked ham
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- To make stuffed pumpkin, start by first washing the pumpkin thoroughly. Then, draw a circle around the top stem and cut it and put it aside. Discard the seeds and loosen the fibers from within the pumpkin. You can use the pumpkin seeds in salads or have them as a healthy snack.
- Once done, keep the pumpkin in a large Dutch oven and fill it with boiling water to a depth of almost 6 inches. Now add 0.5 teaspoons of salt. Cover the pumpkin with the top you had set aside, and allow it to simmer for half an hour or till the time the pumpkin becomes almost tender. Ensure that it still holds shape. You would not want it to become too tender as it would easily break. Now, remove the water carefully from the pumpkin and pat it dry, whilst allowing it to cool.
- Meanwhile, cook the minced beef, green pepper, and onions, in a large skillet on medium heat. Continue to cook it until the meat no longer remains pink in color, and the vegetables tender. Once done, let it cool. Place the mixture, thus created, in a large bowl and to it add cooked rice, ham, tomato sauce, sautéd garlic, eggs, pepper, oregano, vinegar and the remaining 0.5 teaspoons of salt. Mix well.
- Now, in a shallow and sturdy baking pan, place the pumpkin and firmly pack the beef and rice mixture (that you mixed in a large bowl) into it. Cover the top and bake the pumpkin at 350° for 1 hour, leaving the baking pan uncovered. Once done, let it stand for not less than 10 minutes.
- Once done, ensure you remove the top and if you prefer to use a paper towel to let out excess moisture from the top of the meat. Now slice the pumpkin into 6-8 wedges and serve. Enjoy this delicious Thanksgiving treat with your loved ones!
Notes
Ideally, it is best to eat this soon after it is ready. However, should you have any leftovers, we suggest you scoop them out of the pumpkin, mix them up, cover, and refrigerate them. You can always reheat the mixture the following day and eat it. Secondly, you can change the stuffing as per your preference. For instance, you can add freshly baked bread and cheese, green leafy vegetables and peas, sausages and some nuts, along with the sauce of your choice, to make for a delicious stuffed pumpkin.