Dinner in a Pumpkin

Sonia here.  Sorry you get me two days in a row, but I missed Monday without even thinking, did Tuesday thinking it was Monday and then remembered today was Wednesday.  Crazy brain.  Anyway, today you get an unusual recipe.  I had this long ago and since I had a pumpkin to use, I decided I would try it.  It was good the first day, but it doesn't make for great leftovers.  The flavors start to all truly meld together and it just doesn't work well.  So don't use a huge pumpkin like I did and cut this way down in size.  (I halved the recipe since I only used a half pumpkin, but it was still too much.)  Also, ours took longer than 1 1/2 hours  - it took about 2 hours to cook.  I think we ended up using a sugar pumpkin, though instead of a normal pumpkin - don't know if that made the difference or not.



Dinner In A Pumpkin

One pumpkin
2 pounds ground meat
6 ounces sliced ham, chopped
1 medium onions, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons of oregano
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
8 ounces can of tomato sauce
1 can chopped black olives
3 beaten eggs
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon vinegar

Combine all but eggs and vinegar. Cook until tender. Add eggs and vinegar. Mix well. Put into cleaned out 10" pumpkin and cook at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours until pumpkin is tender. Don't overcook or pumpkin will collapse. Scoop out pumpkin meat with filling as you are serving it. Feeds about 8 people. (depending on size of pumpkin - ours would have fed 6 easily and I only used half a pumpkin and half the recipe.)

*Note: Make sure that the pumpkin you buy will fit in your oven before starting this. Measure your oven from top to bottom, and when buying the pumpkin measure it also. Also put pumpkin on a cookie sheet with sides. Some fluid will run out of the pumpkin while cooking.