Dinner in a Pumpkin

I love to make this in the Fall. It's easy, inexpensive, filling, and very, very good!

1 med pumpkin (or 2 small)

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp oil

1-2 lbs hamburger (depending on how much meat you like)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 c. cooked rice ( To make: 3/4 uncooked rice-not instant-, with 1 1/2 c. water)

Optional:

1 small can mushrooms

8 oz. water chestnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Sauté onion & garlic in oil. Add hamburger and brown, draining the fat. Meanwhile, cook the rice and goop out the pumpkin, saving the top to use as a lid while baking. Try to get out all the strings! (I like to save the seeds to bake later.) Combine hamburger mixture, cooked rice, and all other ingredients. Add to the pumpkin, replace the top. Bake on foil-lined baking sheet for 1 hour or until pumpkin is tender. Serve right out of the pumpkin. Can serve with rolls/cornbread and green salad.

To make it fun, you can paint or use sharpies to draw a face on the pumpkin before baking!

~ Aubree Clark