Savory Beef Stew in a Pumpkin

Want your house to smell so good this Fall?

And have a delicious meal in its own serving bowl?

1. Get yourself a nice pie pumpkin.

2. Cut out the lid. Scoop out the seeds.

3. Place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet. Brush the outside of the pumpkin with vegetable oil.

4. Fill the pumpkin with your favorite beef stew mixture. (When I don't make it "from scratch" I use a frozen mix such as Stouffer's.)

5. Put on the lid. Bake at 350 degrees. Timing will vary on the size of your pumpkin. A small one usually takes 60-90 minutes. A large one takes up to 2 hours to bake. You'll want the pumpkin "meat" to be tender to scoop.

6. Serve on a pretty platter (oops! not shown here).

Scoop helpings so that each serving includes the beef stew and the baked pumpkin too. It's yummy and so healthy too.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars -- A Fall Favorite

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars


1 (16 oz) pkg pound cake mix
3 eggs
2 T margarine or butter, melted
4 t pumpkin pie spice
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin (about 2 cups) – (I noticed the small cans on the shelves are now 15 oz!)
½ t salt
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large mixer bowl, on low speed, combine cake mix, 1 egg, margarine, and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice until crumbly. Press onto bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. (You could use a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan for thinner bars.)
In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Eagle Brand, then the remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well.
Pour over the crust. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until set (wire or wooden skewer comes out clean).
Cool. Chill in refrigerator.
Cut into bars.
Store in refrigerator.


Enjoy! Happy Autumn!