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Pumpkin stuffed with meat baked in the oven

Whole Pumpkin Stuffed with Meat, Baked in the Oven

A festive dish with a real wow factor at the table! Baked pumpkin stuffed with meat and vegetables isn't just tasty, juicy, and filling enough for an everyday lunch or dinner — it also makes a beautiful, edible "pot" of meat that's genuinely fun to serve. It's impressive enough for a holiday spread and a lovely way to treat family and guests on a lazy Sunday.

Snezhana

Recipe author

Pumpkin stuffed with meat baked in the oven

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pumpkin

1.5

Pork

500

Carrot

Onion

Potatoes

Fresh herbs

Olive oil

Water

0.5

Salt

0.5

Ground black pepper

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 24 % 4 g

Fats 35 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 41 % 7 g

94 kcal

GI: 43 / 0 / 57

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make a whole pumpkin stuffed with meat and baked in the oven? It's easy! Gather the ingredients from the list. For this dish, go with a savory, non-sweet variety of pumpkin — a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin works well. Any meat you like will do, but pork makes the dish especially juicy and flavorful, and the pumpkin flesh soaks up all those meaty juices. Beyond the meat, feel free to add a few more vegetables; they'll only make the filling richer and more satisfying.
Step 2:

Wash the pumpkin, then carefully cut off the top to make a lid and scoop out the soft flesh and seeds. Pick a pumpkin sized to however many people you're serving.
Step 3:

Rinse the pork, pat it dry with a paper towel, and cut it into cubes. Rinse and pat dry once more.
Step 4:

Wash and peel the carrot, then cut it into rounds or cubes.
Step 5:

Peel the onion and cut it into dice.
Step 6:

Adding a couple of potatoes makes the dish even heartier and more satisfying. Wash, peel, and cut them into cubes.
Step 7:

Put the vegetables and meat in a deep bowl. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste and drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to combine, then top with the rinsed, chopped fresh herbs.
Step 8:

Fill the pumpkin with the meat and vegetables. Pour in half a cup of water. Brush the outside bottom of the pumpkin with a little oil too, so it won't scorch and stick to the pan.
Step 9:

Set the pumpkin lid back on top and place it on a baking sheet. Pour a little water onto the sheet. Put the pumpkin in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) and bake for 2 hours.
Step 10:

The dish is ready. Baked this way, it comes out delicious and juicy, with tender meat and pumpkin infused with all the flavor of the filling — and it's wholesome, too. You can speed things up by filling the pumpkin with pre-cooked components: sauté the meat and vegetables separately in a skillet and soften the pumpkin in a slow cooker or steamer. It just won't be quite as tasty or as good for you. Enjoy!

Keep in mind that every oven is different, so your temperature and timing may vary a bit from what's written here.
How you cut the carrot changes the final result: grated carrot cooks down into a soft mash that blends into everything, while carrot cut into sticks or cubes holds its shape.
You can swap the pork for any other meat, just remember the cooking time, flavor, and calorie count will shift. Beef, for example, takes longer than pork, while chicken breast or turkey cooks faster.