Make this simple dinner in a pumpkin recipe for a fun family Halloween activity. 
Dinner in a Pumpkin- A Fun Family Tradition
A few years ago, we were the lucky dinner guests of a good friend who let us be a part of one of her family’s favorite Halloween tradition: Making Dinner in a Pumpkin. I had always wanted to try making dinner in a pumpkin, but it seemed way to complicated. Until I learned from my friend that it was actually quite easy.
No fancy skills required
Even if you are not a gourmet cook, making dinner in a pumpkin is simple and delicious. There are just a few steps to follow and before you know it, you’ll have a festive dinner for your family or friends.
How to Make Dinner in a Pumpkin
There are lots of dinner in a pumpkin recipes out there, but we always use this one from my friend Alli because it’s simple and delicious. The full recipe is below, but here is the rundown:
- Pick out a medium-size pumpkin. You’ll want to be sure to get one that will fit in your oven!
- Clean out the pumpkin, removing all seeds as best you can.
- Draw a Jack-0-lantern face on the outside with permanent black marker. Place on a large cookie sheet— this is the one we use!
- Brown the meat and onions, and then combine all the rest of the ingredients.
- Place the dinner mixture into the pumpkin and bake.
What to Serve With Your Dinner in a Pumpkin
Make your entire dinner festive by serving these sides with your dinner in a pumpkin.
- Rolls (buy premade or frozen roll dough for simplicity’s sake!)
- Salad or veggie like corn
- 5-Minute Jello Spider Cups
- Decorate The Best Halloween Sugar Cookies
Dinner in a Pumpkin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium pumpkin (always go with smaller and round so that it will fit in your oven)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground beef
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 4 oz canned or fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 8 oz water chestnuts, drained
Directions
- Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out the seeds and pulp. Paint a Jack-O-Lantern face with a permanent marker.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a large fry pan, saute onions with ground beef until browned. Drain any fat. Add in soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in cooked rice and water chestnuts.
- Spoon the mixture into the pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire filled pumpkin on a baking sheet.
- Bake 1 hour or until meat of the pumpkin is tender. Put pumpkin on a platter to serve.
Notes
Original recipe from Allison Grow
Be sure to tag your dinner in a pumpkin on social media with @sofestive and #celebratesimpler. I’d love to feature you!
Check out all 31 Days of Simple Halloween Ideas Here
2 comments
Hi! Do you use a baking pumpkin and eat the pumpkin flesh with the meat filling, too? Excited to try this!
Yes, a small baking pumpkin or regular carving pumpkin. Just make sure it will fit in your oven! And yes, we eat the pumpkin flesh with the mixture!