Halloween Tradition

 I'm pretty sure I posted this recipe last year...but I love this Halloween tradition and so I just had to share it again. I really look forward to this as Fall draws near every year. The flavors in this are phenomenal! Baking in the pumpkin with the "lid" on for an hour causes the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin to create the most amazing combo! And as you scoop it out of the pumpkin, you get a little bit of it mingling in with the rice and meat. I know that might sound gross--but it adds just the perfect finish to the whole meal!

Dinner in a Pumpkin
1 small to medium pumpkin
1 onion
1 1/2 to 2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 C cooked rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 T vegetable oil
2 T soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms (I don't add this)
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts

Cut off top of pumpkin and clean out seeds. Paint face on pumpkin with permanent marker (opt). Preheat oven to 350. Saute onions in oil until tender. Add meat. Brown and drain. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into pumpkin shell. Replace top and put on baking sheet. Bake 1 hour or until inside of pumpkin is tender. Put on plate. remove lid and serve. Serves 6.