Dinner In A Pumpkin Tastes Better From Scratch

Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, or Pumpkin Pie!

Why I love this recipe:

Fun – Every kid will remember eating dinner out of a pumpkin! I make this baked stuffed pumpkin recipe every year in the month of October, sometimes on Halloween night. Delicious – Flavorful sausage cooked with vegetables and rice is picky eater approved. Easy – Only a few ingredients and simple steps to make such a fun Halloween dinner memory eating out of a pumpkin. You can even make the filling and stuff the pumpkin ahead of time, so dinner is ready for the oven.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The meat and rice filling mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, stored in the fridge. Add to pumpkin before baking. The entire pumpkin, with filling could be assembled a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Make Filling: 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 onion, carrots, bell pepper and celery then sauté for 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage and salt and pepper. Stir in cooked wild rice. Bake: Spoon mixture into pumpkins then place the lid/stem back on top. Place the pumpkin on a lined or greased baking sheet then 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 sausage dinner in a pumpkin into bowls. Top with hot sauce then additional salt and pepper, if desired. Don’t forget to roast your pumpkin seeds! To Freeze: Spoon the mixture in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.