It’s fall- and while the ‘what’s for dinner’ question hasn’t stopped … it has a new answer.

Squash, pumpkins and slow cookers & slow roast ovens to heat the kitchen…. well my kitchen!

I digress …My kitchen gets down into the 50 degree range in winter. My mom didn’t believe me the first year and just laughed at me making dinner with my hood on. But I bought a digital thermometer to prove I wasn’t crazy!! Fast forward a few years and the fake hubby discovered there is no insulation in the “remodeled” kitchen… and really no heat source in that room either. Smart right!?

But back to the pumpkin for dinner. I had an old Native American recipe and made this dish years ago. Couldn’t find that recipe so cross checked a few others and went with my gut. But I always love something different when my mom and G&G come for dinner. What you’ll need:

• One pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup (before cooked) mixed or wild rice
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small pack of fresh mushrooms
• Tablespoon or two of olive oil- I use garlic infused
• one can of cream of mushroom soup (normal/size can- feel the need to say that cuz otherwise the fake hubby comes home with the family size can!)
• One (small ish) pie pumpkin

We got our pie pumpkins this time of year for a buck each! Gotta love the West Allis farmers market.

Start your rice. I make mine in a steamer. And the instructions below will assume that for ya’ll too.

Scoop out the seeds so you have only ‘firm’ pumpkin and no stringyness or seeds.

I save the seeds and rub oil on them, sprinkle with salt, and bake for about 12 min at 350 degrees- but most would just toss the seats.

Start pre-cooking your pumpkin it saves on baking time later. 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. A cookie sheet under it works pretty good.

Start to sauté the onion (chopped) with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. After a minute or two add and cook the beef & turkey. When it’s about half cooked- add your mushrooms. I bought mine sliced and cut in half or thirds.

Once the rice is done- combine with the meat and rice mixture and stuff the pumpkin full- pack it in.

Bake for about an hour or 1:15 at 350 degrees.

Slice like a cantaloupe and serve a ‘slice’ of pumpkin and filling – yum! I cut my stuffed pumpkin into about eighths.