Dinner in a Pumpkin

Inspired by the dinner prepared by the hospitality director at my church during our recent ladies fellowship, I decided to get creative and make dinner in a pumpkin. Fall just seems like the perfect time for this! Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Ingredients:

3 small pumpkins
1 lb. ground turkey 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cup canned chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked white rice

Instructions:

Pre heat oven to 350^o.

Clean and prep pumpkins by removing the top and the seeds. I also pull out the really dark pulp around the seeds. (Save the seeds for roasting later.) Bake on a cookie sheet for 40-45 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook 5 minutes, until soft. Add turkey and cook about 8-10 minutes until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add flour, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a simmer; simmer 4 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir, mixing all ingredients together. Simmer an additional 3 minutes, until mixture thickens.

Transfer turkey and rice mixture into hollow of roasted pumpkins. Place back in 350^o oven for about 12 minutes. Allow pumpkin to rest about 5 minutes before transferring to plate.

433 Calories per pumpkin