Baked in Pumpkin Sausage Stew

pumpkinstewIngredients:

1 pumpkin ~4lbs

2 pkg Mild Italian Sausage Links (I used Johnsonville)

16-18 ounces stout beer (I used Guinness)

1 large red onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup sliced carrots

1 can corn

1 cup chopped celery

2tsp minced garlic

1 green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped (I used 1 mini pepper of each color)

2-3 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sizzed pieces.

1 cup cooked rice

1 can chicken broth (14.5oz)

 

Instructions:

Place the sausage in a large pan, cover with beer and add chopped onions. Bake at 350~45 minutes until sausage are cooked.

Meanwhile, cut the top off the pumpkin (making a large enough opening to be able to spoon ingredients in and out.  Scoop out the innards and seeds (of course, save the seeds to roast separately!!)

Cut the sausage into bite-size pieces.  Mix them with all the other ingredients.  Take the onions out of the beer stock and add to the mixture.  Add enough beer stock to moisten (but not drown) the mixture, then spoon it into the pumpkin.

Place the pumpkin on a lipped baking pan, replace the pumpkin top and bake at 350 for 75 minutes. Carefully remove the pumpkin top, set it on the side and serve with warm bread.

Serves about 8.  (when you have finished eating the stew, take off the pumpkin flesh, puree it and make mushroom pumpkin soup)