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Minced pumpkin baked in the oven

Stuffed Pumpkin Baked in the Oven

Showstopping, aromatic, hearty, and absolutely delicious! This stuffed pumpkin baked in the oven is a striking dish served right inside the pumpkin itself. You get two things at once — the savory meat filling and a side of tender, roasted pumpkin flesh. It's just as at home on a weeknight dinner table as it is at a holiday feast.

hallen-bunny

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pumpkin

Pork

500

Onion

Rice

Vegetable oil

Dry spices

Ground black pepper

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 21 % 3 g

Fats 21 % 3 g

Carbohydrates 57 % 8 g

62 kcal

GI: 0 / 13 / 88

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you bake stuffed pumpkin in the oven? Start by gathering your ingredients. I used pork for the filling, but any meat works here — beef, chicken, or turkey. A smaller pumpkin is easier to work with.
Step 2:

Grind the meat through a meat grinder to make the filling. You can use store-bought ground meat, but grinding your own tastes so much better. Season the ground meat with salt and pepper. Feel free to add a seasoned salt blend or any spices you like for meat.
Step 3:

Rinse the rice, cover it with hot water, and simmer on the stove until it's about halfway cooked. You can swap the rice for any other grain, or leave it out entirely. Drain the rice in a sieve and let all the water run off.
Step 4:

Wash the pumpkin and slice off the top to make a lid. Scoop out the pulp and seeds with a spoon, scraping off a little extra of the firm flesh from the inner walls as you go.
Step 5:

Peel and finely chop the onion. Sauté it in vegetable oil until translucent.
Step 6:

Finely chop the pumpkin flesh you scraped out and add it to the onion in the pan. Cook everything over low heat until it's about halfway tender.
Step 7:

Combine the ground meat, cooked rice, and the sautéed onion and pumpkin. Stir the filling until everything is evenly mixed.
Step 8:

Spoon the meat filling into the pumpkin and set the cut-off lid back on top.
Step 9:

Wrap the pumpkin in two layers of foil, shiny side facing in. Set the foil-wrapped pumpkin in a baking dish or an oven-safe skillet and place it in the oven.
Step 10:

Bake the pumpkin at 400°F (200°C) for two hours. Take it out, let it cool slightly, and remove the foil. Bring the pumpkin to the table whole — it makes a stunning, unexpected centerpiece. Then slice a portion for each guest. It cuts cleanly into wedges, and the filling holds its shape without falling apart. The pumpkin turns out wonderfully soft and makes a perfect side for the baked meat filling. Enjoy!

This dish pairs beautifully with sour cream or a sour cream and garlic sauce served alongside.
Ovens vary from one kitchen to the next, so your temperature and timing may differ slightly from what's listed here. Keep an eye on it as it bakes.
You can swap the rice for any other grain, but keep in mind that different grains cook differently. The cooking time may be shorter or longer, and some grains need to be soaked ahead of time.