Beef Stew in a Pumpkin

Submitted Rachel Meacham

2 lbs. beef stew meat, cubed
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1-2 cups water
3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1-2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice from can
2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules
A 10-12 lb. pumpkin

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large pot over med-high heat. Place beef in pot and cook until evenly browned. Mix in the water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer about 2 hours (covered), stirring occasionally.

Dissolve the bouillon into soup. Stir in tomatoes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut top off pumpkin and scrape out seeds and pulp with a sturdy spoon. Place pumpkin in a heavy baking pan (or on a cookie sheet). Fill pumpkin with stew mixture. Brush outside of pumpkin with remaining oil. (You may draw a jack-o-lantern face onto the outside of the pumpkin with permanant marker before brushing oil on, if you want to, for Halloween).

Bake stew in pumpkin with top of pumpkin back on in oven for 1-2 hours or until pumpkin is tender. Serve stew from the pumpkin, scraping out some of the pumpkin "meat" with each serving, if desired.