Italian Beef and Butternut Squash Baked in a Pumpkin

This rich and hearty dish will keep your insides warm and your tastebuds happy. Full of Autumn flavors and baked in a pumpkin so the presentation at the table will inspire oohs and awes.

If you want to present each diner with their own pumpkin, buy small roundish pumpkins about 5” in diameter. Another plan relies on some careful carving with larger 9”-10” pumpkins, (choose a pumpkin without a stem and cut the pumpkin in half around the equator to form two edible bowls). 

For a large party, purchase a Jack O’ Lantern size pumpkin to use as a serving vessel and use a ladle so everyone can serve themselves this substantial main dish.

Pumpkins for Baking and Eating

Some wonder if all the varieties of pumpkins available are edible. The short answer is yes, but the larger the pumpkin, the stringier the flesh (that equals bland and watery food). It is also good to note that good eating pumpkins have smooth surfaces. The more decorative knobby pumpkins are bred for looks rather than taste no matter the size.

Pumpkins last for months at cold temperature, so this week is perfect to stock up for Thanksgiving. Select the size pumpkin you want, remembering that getting two medium-size roundish pumpkins will give you more (and better-tasting) flesh than one tallish pumpkin. Just make sure there are no soft spots or bruises on the pumpkin. Some pumpkins varieties are often sold as baking pumpkins. These tend to fall in the 4-8 pound range and will give you a wonderful result in this dish as well as being great in a pumpkin pie. Just like tomatoes, grocers purposely shine pumpkins to make them more appealing to shoppers, so a dull pumpkin does not mean an inferior pumpkin.

Pumpkins can be roasted whole, steamed, or cut into smaller pieces before cooking and used in soups and curries. You can even make your own pumpkin purée by baking or roasting this versatile vegetable and then processing it in a food mill or blender. The purée will freeze beautifully.

Herbs de Provence

Herbes de Provence is a wonderful spice blend that contains spices that pair well with chicken, beef, lamb, tomato-based dishes, vegetables, and hearty stews. While the mix varies depending on the manufacturer, most include some combination of basil, fennel, lavender, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, and thyme. It originated in France, thus the name, and is used in many classic French bistro type recipes. Italian Seasoning is similar, but as it originated in the Mediterranean, the blend is tweaked for dishes from that area.

Italian Beef and Butternut Squash Baked in a Pumpkin

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• Author: Chef Lisa
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 12–15 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

A hearty beef dish with beans and roasted butternut squash, baked in a pumpkin for a festive dish at any gathering.

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Ingredients

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• 1 pumpkin, cleaned and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2” cubes
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannelloni beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can small red beans
• 3 tablespoons herbs de provence
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F, line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
2. Clean pumpkin and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in the interior, place the pumkin on one of the prepared baking sheets and set aside.
3. Arrange the butternut squash on the remaining parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on the cubes. With your hands, toss the cubes of squash so all sides are coated with oil.
4. Roast the butternut squash for 15 minutes in the preheated 400° F oven.
5. While the squash is roasting, in a large dutch oven, over medium heat, brown ground beef and sweet Italian sausage, as the meat browns, break it into small chunks. 
6. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the meat mixture and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
7. Stir the diced orange bell pepper and the fire roasted dice tomatoes into the meat mixture.
8. Drain the liquid from the cans of beans and add the contents to the dutch oven.
9. Stir in the herbs de provence, Italian seasoning, cinnamon, cocoa powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and stir to combine.
10. After 15 minutes, remove the butternut squash from the oven and carefully add the par cooked pieces to the dutch oven. 
11. Turn oven down to 350° F.
12. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, adding more if needed. Add crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
13. Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared pumpkin and place the baking sheet with the filled pumpkin in the 350° F oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the flesh of the pumpkin is soft. (Any mixture that does not fit in the pumpkin can be baked at the same time in the dutch oven.)
14. Serve warm and eat the pumpkin flesh along with the hearty meat and beans.

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Notes

You can buy already cubed butternut squash in the produce section of the grocery store.

This recipe is also wonderful served on its own without the pumpkin.

Any leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup

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