Taste of Home

Sausage & Rice Stuffed Pumpkins

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 55 min. YIELD: 12 servings.
My children often request this dish. It also adds a great "wow" factor to a festive buffet table.—Andria Peckham, Lowell, Michigan

Ingredients

  • 3 small pie pumpkins (about 2 pounds each)
  • 1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups cooked long grain rice
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 450°. Cut a 3-in. circle around each pumpkin stem. Remove tops and set aside. Remove strings and seeds from pumpkins; discard seeds or save for roasting.
  • 2. In a large skillet, cook sausage, vegetables and garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain. Remove from heat; stir in rice, 3/4 cup cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and thyme.
  • 3. Place pumpkins in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; fill with rice mixture. Replace pumpkin tops. Bake 30 minutes.
  • 4. Reduce oven setting to 350°. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until pumpkin is tender when pierced with a knife and a thermometer inserted in filling reads 160°. Sprinkle remaining cheese over filling. Cut to serve.

Nutrition Facts

1/4 pumpkin and 2/3 cup rice: 204 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 49mg cholesterol, 405mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 10g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 high-fat meat.

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