Easy Dinner in a Pumpkin Recipe (Ground Beef + Rice)

Inside: Simple and Easy Dinner in a Pumpkin Recipe with ground beef and rice perfect for a fall dinner.

Fall is here and it’s time to share one our favorite fall and Halloween time dinners. Dinner in a Pumpkin.

This meal is a tradition for our family each October and we all look forward to it.

Many people have never heard of this before, but if you haven’t tried it you need to.

What is Dinner in a Pumpkin?

Dinner in a pumpkin is what it sounds like. Dinner. Baked inside of a pumpkin.

I know some families that enjoy making soup inside the pumpkin, and others use a hollowed out pumpkin to serve dinner.

My favorite dinner in a pumpkin is a recipe using rice and ground beef baked inside of a pumpkin. (So you can eat the pumpkin too!)

Dinner in a Pumpkin

This fun pumpkin dinner recipe not only delicious it looks so fun and festive.

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized pumpkin
• 1 ½ pounds of lean ground beef
• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 2 cups of cooked rice (white or brown, as per your preference)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can water chestnuts (optional)
• salt and pepper

All measurements are approximate. This recipe is really forgiving and as long as you have all the ingredients and not to much spices it will taste amazing.

We have made this for our family of 6 in a medium sized pumpkin and we have made it for a group of 18 in a larger pumpkin.

The biggest thing is to make sure the pumpkin will fit in your oven and that the rice and hamburger mix tastes good.

Easy Dinner in a Pumpkin Recipe

This dinner is easy to make but it does take some prep work.

Prep the Pumpkin

Cut a circular opening at the top of the pumpkin and carefully remove the seeds and pulp.

Cook the Ground Beef

Start your rice, I like to make mine in a rice cooker so it’s fast and easy.

While the rice is cooking it’s time to brown the ground beef and chopped onions until fully cooked. Be sure to season to taste with salt and pepper.

The Stuffing

Before you start mixing the “stuffing” preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Mix together the cream of mushroom soup with the rice, cooked ground beef and onions, salt, pepper and water chestnuts.

Fill the Pumpkin

Place the cleaned out pumpkin on a baking sheet.

Stuff the pumpkin with your rice and hamburger mixture and put the top back on the pumpkin.

I like to stab the outside of the pumpkin a few times so steam can be released as it cooks.

Baking Dinner In a Pumpkin

After putting the “lid” on the stuffed pumpkin, place it in the preheated oven.

Bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the pumpkin flesh is tender but not mushy.

You should be able to push on the pumpkin and have it indent but come back out.

Tips for a Perfect Dinner in a Pumpkin

Choose a pumpkin with a sturdy stem and a flat bottom to ensure it will stand upright in the oven.

Don’t discard the pumpkin seeds! Roast them for a delicious snack.

Feel free to customize the filling by adding your favorite vegetables or meat substitutes.

Suggestions for Serving Dinner in a Pumpkin

When serving your dinner in a pumpkin be sure to scrape the side of the pumpkin. Getting some of the pumpkin meat to go along with your rice mixture is the best.

Don’t forget to have some butter and salt and pepper that can be add to the pumpkin.

We like to have a fresh salad with our pumpkin dinner. Sourdough bread or anther bread or rolls would also be good with it.

Now that you’ve had a delicious fall dinner in a pumpkin, let’s talk about Fall desserts.

Fall Desserts

Here are a few fun fall desserts that would be perfect for serving with your fall dinner.

Apple Cinnamon Roll Pie
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Almond Cheesecake Cones
Caramel Apple Cookies