Recipe to try

I've been wanting to make dinner in a pumpkin for a couple weeks now, and finally, it worked out. Unfortunately, it worked out after Halloween so I had a HECK (yeah I totally live in Utah :)) of a time finding a pumpkin. Turns out, I had to use several small pumpkins. It worked out ok, but not really what I'd had in mind. Seriously, do we not use pumpkins for Thanksgiving, too?? Oh yeah, that's right. Thanksgiving is not a holiday anymore (MOVE ON TO CHRISTMAS!!) :). Sorry. Little vent. I'm a fan of Thanksgiving AND Christmas. :).

I digress. Anyway, I got this great recipe from this fun little blog The Recipe Round Table. I LOVE it. My friend organizes it and I get access to all these great recipes. It's open to everyone, so ENJOY!!

Pumpkin Stew
1 10 - 12 pound pumpkin
2 lb. Beef stew meat
2 tbs. Oil
1 Bell Pepper, one-inch slices
1 Onion, sliced
4 Medium potatoes, cubed
3 Carrots, cubed
2 Cloves of Garlic, diced
2 Sticks of Celery, sliced
1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes
2-3 c Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Carve a hole in the top of the pumpkin and remove seeds and stringy insides. Set pumpkin aside. In a Dutch oven, brown 2 lbs of stew meat in oil. Add in bell pepper, onion, potatoes, carrots, garlic, celery, and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Add water. Let simmer for 1 hour. Place pumpkin in shallow pan, and place stew inside pumpkin. Brush the outside of the pumpkin with a light coating of oil. Bake pumpkin and stew at 350 for 2 hours, or until pumpkin is tender. Serve while hot. Be sure to get chunks of pumpkin in your stew, as they enhance the flavor of the stew.
Submitted by Sandi

Like I said, I had to use several pumpkins, and it worked out great. Afterward, I was thinking; if you were having a little dinner party, you could make individual pumpkins for everyone and they'd be like a soup bowl! Sorry, I didn't take any pictures, but trust me. It was beautiful and delicious! Giver her a try!