Fall Dinner

I got this recipe from my friend Kris Tina. We have been friends ever since she asked me if my acid washed skirt-alls were "Guess" in jr. high. I can't imagine her eating such a meaty delight but I got this recipe from her way back before I even knew how to cook anything. The first time I made it, I was a little newlywed in Austin, TX. I didn't realize that I was supposed to cook the meat before I put in the oven. So I let it cook and cook and cook and finally, when the pumpkin was turning into a dark wrinkled mess, I realized that I messed up. The sad-then-funny-now-(kind of) part about it was that we were having the missionaries over for dinner so we had nothing to serve them. I think I whipped up some spaghetti (dry pasta, sauce in a jar... they probably had it for lunch). I hated wasting all that stuff. Live and learn...

Dinner in a Pumpkin (My version... )

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pumpkin (I used 4 little Sugar Pumpkins for the ones in the photo)

1 lb. hamburger

1 lb. ground sausage

1 med. onion, chopped

1 can cream of chicken

3 cups cooked rice (I used brown, surprise, surprise)

1 can sliced water chestnuts

2 cans canned mushrooms (I would used fresh next time)

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Cut off top and gut (and guess what? Those cheap looking tiny knives they sell for carving really do make it easier). Butter outside and place on "Pam"ed cookie sheet. Cook meat until no longer pink. Add onions. Cook until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Fill pumpkins. I put the "lids" on the cookie sheet, also. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

To serve: Scoop out some filling, slice of some pumpkin and eat it with the meat. Sour cream is way good with this.

I served this with Parmesan rolls (another recipe from T) and broiled asparagus... and caramel apples for dessert.