Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

It's Halloween and if you are like me, you bought way too many pumpkins at the farmers market than you know what to do with. But luckily, pumpkins aren't just for carving (and then subsequently rotting on your porch). They are ghoulishly good and make for a great meal too!

And they are very nutritious. One cup of plain cooked pumpkin has less than 50 calories and it is full of antioxidants, fiber, potassium and Vitamin A (which is good for vision, healthy skin, and immune function)

If you want to use pumpkins for cooking, you have to make sure to buy the right kind. If you get the regular, big fatty pumpkins at the grocery store, it won’t work. They are way too big and the flesh will be too tough and stringy.

Look for sugar or pie pumpkins. They are smaller and are usually a darker shade of orange. Typically they weigh anywhere from one to five pounds.

This recipe utilizes the shape of the pumpkin, using the skin as a serving dish. Be careful cutting and preparing this decorative dish. If done right, it will look very bootiful. It just ghost to show you that you can use pumpkins for just about anything.

I hope you enjoy this spooktacular stuffed pumpkin!


Stuffed pumpkin
Ingredients

• 2 lb pie pumpkin
• 2 tsp of butter (or butter spray)
  
• 1 cup of wild rice
• Chicken stock or two chicken bouillon cubes
  
• 1 diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, diced
  
• 5 strips of turkey bacon
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 cup of diced apple
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 3 fresh sage leaves chopped

Directions

• Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out seeds. Remember, the pumpkin is part of the presentation, so make sure you cut neatly.
• Rub 1 tsp butter (or use I can’t believe it’s not butter) on the inside of the pumpkin (save 1 tsp of butter for later).
• Place the pumpkin on an ungreased cookie sheet and cook at 350 for about 45 minutes.
• While the pumpkin is cooking, cook the wild rice on the stove per recipe directions (but use chicken stock or chicken bouillon cubes instead of water).
  
• In a separate skillet, cook diced onion, garlic and celery with 1 tsp of butter on med/high heat until brown. Then bring temperature to low.
  
• When the pumpkin is done cooking, let it cool and then remove the flesh from the skin. . Be careful not to tear the skin of the pumpkin because it will be used as your bowl later.
• Add the cooked pumpkin, apple, dried cranberries, cinnamon, salt, pepper and sage to onion mixture. Cook until heated thoroughly.
• Once the rice is prepared, add it to the pumpkin mixture.
• Then carefully add the entire mixture into the pumpkin.
  

Serve!