Today I have a perfect recipe for this Fall and Winter. Pumpkins are usually on a HUGE sale the few days after Halloween, so hurry and ask your parents to pick up a few before the price goes up for Thanksgiving!
Today I have made a ‘Fiesta Stuffed Pumpkin’.
All you need is a medium sized pumpkin, 3 cups of cooked brown rice (just follow the instructions on the package), a bell pepper, half an onion, 2-3 tomatoes, 1-2 cans of black beans, 1 cup of salsa, and some shredded cheese.
First things first: Get the pumpkin cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the pumpkin and then VERY CAREFULLY cut off the top with a large knife (parent muscles might be needed for this one).
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Clean out the seeds and stringy pulp. Then place the pumpkin (cut side down) in a baking dish with about 1/4 inch of water in the bottom.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile…. chop your veggies of choice and sauté all except for the tomatoes in a pan with about 2 Tb of oil.
After 2-3 minutes of cooking, add in the tomatoes, the can of beans (rinsed), the rice, salsa, and your preference of cheese (I used about half a cup).
After the pumpkin has been cooking for 45 minutes, pull it out, flip it, and fill with your rice mixture. You can then sprinkle some garlic powder and cheese on top and cover with the pumpkin lid. Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes (or until the pulp inside the pumpkin is soft).
As you are serving, scrape out the pumpkin to eat with the rice mixture and enjoy! You’ll be amazed at how often you end up craving this recipe!
If you want to switch things up, feel free to use another casserole recipe and cook inside the pumpkin instead of in a baking dish. I have tried homemade mac and cheese and I have tried roasted veggies in a pumpkin and both were deeelish!
Fiesta Stuffed Pumpkin (printable)
Happy Creating!