Jack O'Lanter Stew
1 (9 to 12-inch) pumpkin
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
4 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
3 celery sticks, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 cups cooked rice (instant is okay)
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can tomato soup
Preheat the oven to 350
Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Rinse well. Oil outside of pumpkin. Bake the pumpkin shell for 30 minutes.
While shell is baking: saute the onion, green and red peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown ground beef and chicken. Add the veggies and cooked rice and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Remove pumpkin from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and soup into the meat mixture. Place meat mixture into pumpkin. Put back in oven for 20 minutes.
