Dinner in a Pumpkin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredeients:
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 of celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped, (or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, (or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary)
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped, (or 3/4 teaspoon dried sage)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups cooked wild rice
Directions:
Prep Pumpkin: Cut the top off of the pumpkin, leaving a large enough opening to fit a hand and a 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 serve 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 the 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 into 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.
Nutritional Facts:
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: 2920IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe courtesy of Tastes Better From Scratch.com
