Stuffed pumpkin dinner

Yield: 8 servings

• 1 large pie pumpkin (5½ to 6 pounds)

• 1 teaspoon salt, divided

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef

• ƒ cup finely chopped onion

• 1 small green pepper, chopped

• 1 ½ cups cooked rice

• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

• ½ cup finely chopped fully cooked ham

or sausage

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• ½ teaspoon cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash pumpkin and cut out a 6-inch lid, as you would with a jack-o’-lantern. Discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkin in a large Dutch oven. Fill Dutch oven with boiling water to a depth of 6 inches; add ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is almost tender but holds its shape. Carefully remove and drain well; pat dry.

2. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender;

drain well. Cool slightly; place in a large bowl. Add rice, tomato sauce, ham, eggs, garlic, oregano, pepper, vinegar and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.

3. Place pumpkin in a shallow, sturdy baking pan. Firmly pack beef mixture into pumpkin; replace top. Bake for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the top; if desired, use paper towel to remove excess moisture from top of meat. Slice pumpkin into wedges.

Per serving: 281 calories; 5 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 105 mg cholesterol; 27 g protein; 34 g carbohydrate; 11 g sugar; 3 g fiber; 377 mg sodium; 92 mg calcium

—Recipe from Taste of Home