Cooking with PumpkinNo. 2393 · The 2026 edition
Dinner in a Pumpkin
Turn Halloween dinner into a spooky showstopper with a pumpkin shell stuffed with savory ground beef and rice.
Our own summary of the original by Melissa — the full post and photos live at sofestive.com.
This festive meal uses a small pumpkin as both a cooking vessel and serving dish. A savory filling of seasoned ground beef, mushrooms, and rice bakes inside the pumpkin until tender. The carved face makes it perfect for a Halloween centerpiece.
Ingredients
Directions
- Slice off the top of a small to medium pumpkin and scoop out all seeds and stringy pulp. Use a permanent marker to draw a jack-o'-lantern face on the outside.
- Set your oven to preheat at 350°F.
- In a large skillet, cook the chopped onion with 1½ to 2 lbs of ground beef until the meat is browned. Pour off any excess fat. Stir in 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 4 oz sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh), and 1 can cream of chicken soup. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Mix in 1½ cups cooked rice and 8 oz drained water chestnuts.
- Spoon the prepared filling into the cleaned pumpkin cavity. Place the pumpkin top back on, then set the whole pumpkin on a baking sheet.
- Bake for about 1 hour, or until the pumpkin flesh becomes tender. Transfer the pumpkin to a serving platter and bring it to the table.
More photos
Photos hosted by sofestive.com.
