Here on our Monday installment of At Home w/ GCH, we have been featuring recipes which include Fall in-season fruits and veggies.  This week’s recipe is baked in a pumpkin…I’m thinking that you can’t get much more autumnal than a pumpkin!  This is super easy…and makes for a fabulous presentation.  You can use one pumpkin and serve all of your happy eaters a ‘slice’ of pumpkin.  Or (which I am going to do for our Thanksgiving feast) you could purchase those adorable little ‘Jack Be Little’ pumpkins and serve one per customer!  I wouldn’t suggest too large a pumpkin though; they can be very stringy…not appetizing at all!  Optimally, use a pumpkin that is called ‘pie’ pumpkin; these are approximately 1-3 pounds and are of a size that can easily be held in the palm of your hand. Check out these incredible nutritional facts, too.  Alternately, you could make a Vegetarian Chili to serve in your pumpkin; here is a recipe that you might check out.  Or, of course, your family’s favorite chili recipe!  <3

Chili in a Pumpkin

Ingredients
1 2#-3# “pie” pumpkin 
1# ground beef
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4-5 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (I use jarred)
1-28ounce can crushed tomatoes
1-15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1-15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 package taco seasoning (or try this)
1-2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, salsa

Directions

Pumpkin:

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Carefully slice the “cap” off of the pumpkin. Discard the cap. Clean the seeds thoroughly out.
• Lightly oil the inside of the pumpkin, and season well with salt&pepper.
• Place the pumpkin into a baking pan, and bake for 40-45 minutes (depending on the size of your pumpkin, it will be less or more time).  Remove from oven when a sharp knife inserted into the flesh (inside) of the pumpkin is tender but not mushy.

Chili:

• While the pumpkin is baking, saute the ground beef ‘til all the pink is cooked out.  Drain away the excess liquid and set the cooked meat aside.
• In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to heat over medium heat; add the chopped onion and mushrooms.  Saute for 5-6 minutes.
• Add in the chopped bell pepper; stir well.  Saute the veggies for approximately 6-7 minutes ‘til just beginning to get slightly brown.
• Lower heat and add chopped garlic.  Stir constantly for 1 additional minute.
• Increase heat to medium-high, pour in the chopped tomatoes and the taco seasoning mix.  Stir.
• Finally add back the cooked meat as well as the beans; stir well ‘til all is combined.
• Bring just to a boil; and lower heat so the mixture is gently simmering.
• Simmer away until the pumpkin is ready.

Assembling:

• When the pumpkin is tender, remove from oven.
• Stir the corn into the meat-veggie-bean mixture, and then pour this mixture into the pumpkin.
• Return to oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes.  (Again, this will depend on the size of your pumpkin.)
• Remove from oven; slice into serving size pieces.
• Serve with your choice of toppings.  Enjoy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen