Meat-Stuffed Sugar Pumpkins

Name: Meat-Stuffed Sugar Pumpkins
Ingredients: 2 sugar pumpkin (approx. 2 lbs. each); 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/3 lbs ground turkey; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery, finely chopped; 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes; 2 eggs; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

11 ingredients

6 steps

Ingredients

2 sugar pumpkin (approx. 2 lbs. each)
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 lbs ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1

Wash each pumpkin. Cut top 1/4 off each pumpkin; remove and discard seeds and fibers. Cut the tops of the pumpkins into small cubes, trimming off and discarding the pumpkin skin from each cube. Mince the pumpkin cubes in a food processor until pumpkin meat is finely ground.
2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3

In large skillet, saute meat until no pink remains. Add onion and celery and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in minced pumpkin, rice, tomatoes, eggs, salt, basil and thyme.
4

Place pumpkins in roasting pan. Pack stuffing into pumpkins. Extra stuffing that overflows can be placed at the base of the pumpkins, in the pan.
5

Place a piece of aluminum foil over top and crimp it over the sides of the pan.
6

Bake 45 minutes or until pumpkins are just tender. Watch carefully at end of roasting time so pumpkins don't overcook.