Common Cuisine |

For some reason this dinner is a favorite in our household simply because of the name. It actually goes by a different name in our house, but what’s in a name, really? The kids love it for the novelty value. I think it’s the soy sauce that gives it the interesting twist.

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups cooked rice

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with salt and drain off fat. Add celery and onion and cook until vegetables begin to soften a little bit.

While that is cooking, preheat oven to 375. At a diagonal angle from outside edge toward center, cut a 3-inch hole around stem of pumpkin and remove top. Remove seeds and pulp. You can discard the seeds or save them for roasting later.

In a large bowl, stir together beef mixture, soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, soup, and rice. Pour mixture into pumpkin and replace lid. Place pumpkin on greased baking sheet and bake for about an hour until pumpkin is soft.

Serves 6 to 8.