Happy Halloween!

Halloweens growing up in North Dakota seemed so wonderfully fun.  We usually made our own costumes and I don't remember it ever being unbearably cold like Montana halloweens can be.  I don't really remember having school parties, but I do remember rushing home and trying to hurry mother along with supper so we could have more time to trick or treat.  I don't remember carving jack o lanterns or having any kind of spooky decorations in our house, but we had fun none the less.  I still like carving pumpkins, but I don't do it so much anymore.  Here's a great recipe for savory stuffed pumpkin.  It's a winner!


Savory Stuffed Pumpkin 

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 large pumpkin (8 to 9 pounds)
• Vegetable oil

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the soup, mushrooms, soy sauce and brown sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice and water chestnuts.
• Wash pumpkin; cut a 6-in. circle around stem. Remove top and set aside. Discard seeds and loose fibers from the inside. Spoon beef mixture into pumpkin; replace top.
• Place in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Rub oil over outside of pumpkin. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 hours or until pumpkin is tender. Scoop out some pumpkin with each serving of beef mixture. Yield: 6 servings.