Reviewed: May 17, 2012

yummy. I added some paprika for more flavor.

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Reviewed: Feb. 18, 2012

This is really good, but it's a lot of work, so save it for a special occasion. I couldn't find a sugar pumpkin of the right size so I used a regular baking pumpkin (the kind people carve.) It was still excellent... maybe a little more savory.

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DomesticEngineer

Reviewed: Dec. 14, 2011

My husband LOVED it, he already wants me to make it for his family next week for the holidays. I am still unsure if I used the correct pumpkin which is why I gave it 4 stars as I am not sure if it would taste better or different with a sugar pumpkin, but indeed it was good. The pumpkin came out with a spaghetti squash stringiness to the meat (I have never cooked pumpkin to eat so I wasn't sure what to expect). We didn't add as much bouillon and omitted the salt as we aren't big fans and it still had enough flavor for us to enjoy. I actually included the tomatoes with the initial stovetop simmer and used italian style canned tomatoes (basil, garlic and oregano already added) and it was still good. Makes me wonder if this could be a nice crock pot meal and add to the pumpkin after work for an hour. Great presentation piece and makes something very fancy of a plain old comfort food.

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dtully13

Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2011

I made this about a month ago and it was delicious. I tweaked the stew recipe to our liking and followed others advice to oil the outside of the pumpkin and cover the stem. When I cut our pumpkin open it had such thick flesh that I was not able to put all of the stew in it. I continued to cook the remaining stew on the stove top until tender and then added it to the pumpkin as needed when serving. Make sure you scrape the pumpkin flesh with each scoop so that you get some delicious pumpkin in each bowl. I'm making this again tonight at my husband's request.

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becky58

Reviewed: Nov. 26, 2011

I had a 5 person Thanksgiving party this year and decided t try this recipe. Made stew in 5 small individual pumpkins and they were a HUGE HIT. I was nervous about how everything would turn out but I followed other's suggestions and it was such a success. A few notes.. 1.) Instead of 1 large 10-12 lbs pumpkin I used 5 small organic sugar pumpkins. Extends prep time but the presentation is amazing and your guests will be amazed! Rubbed pumpkin pie spice on inside of hallowed out pumpkin before pouring stew and baking. 2.) Additional ingredients: Sliced celery (adds flavor!), corn, cut green beans, & portabella mushroom. Very hearty. 3.) Reduced salt by 1/2 4.) Wet stems & cover with foil when bakiing. DO NOT overbake. I baked for only 1 hour 15 min. 5.) Sprinkled freshly grated Parmesean Reggiano and toasted spiced pumpkin seeds (collected from the pumpkins)on top of each stew right before serving. Comfort food, folks! Wonderful.

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Miss Susan O

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Santa Clara, California, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2011

Lovely stew, but needs some thickening. I would dredge the meat in flour before browning next time. I also used red peppers instead of green.

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Bekosso

Reviewed: Oct. 2, 2011

This has to be one of the best recipes I have ever seen for a party or large dinner party. I have made it twice and it is always a huge hit. People are blown away by the presentation and taste. Five stars all around. As others have noted the directions are a bit sketchy. Cover the stew while cooking on the stove and the pumpkin's top while in the oven. Also, feel free to add nearly anything you like to the beef stew. I increased the vegetable count some. Just make sure that you do not add so much that the resulting stew no longer fits inside the pumpkin you have. About the pumpkin: I have no idea where you would find a 12 pound sugar pumpkin but it would not work. You need a standard "jack-o-lantern" pumpkin. A jack-o-lantern pumpkin contains quite a bit of water; making it unsuitable for use in most recipes. But, the stew you create in the first part of this recipe is too thick on its own. However, when you move it into the pumpkin to finish cooking the water from the pumpkin fixes that problem and adds a wonderful flavor as well.

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Twocat

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Reviewed: Sep. 8, 2011

This is a great seasonal stew idea, and the presentation is spectacular, but the recipe as it stands is kind of bland, thus the 3 star rating. Still, I've made this several times with my own variations (including thyme and other herbs, changing up the vegetables, adding a can of Guinness even) because I love pumpkin and the presentation was totally worth it. It's become my Halloween dinner tradition.

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Karine

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada

Reviewed: Mar. 1, 2011

I absolutely am in LOVE with this stew. I didn't cook it IN the pumpkin, due to the leakage issues other people had. I had the kids peel, then I chopped up half of a tiny pumpkin, and added it to the stew. I'm seriously lazy, so I browned the meat in a stock pot, threw the rest of the ingredients in, brought it to a boil, then put it in the slow cooker. 4 hours later, we were all in heaven. Leftovers lasted all week, and I loved every single bowl! I've struggled with beef stew in the past, and I can't stand the taste of white potatoes in my stews, but THIS... oh heavens... it was heaven! Thanks, Cathryn! Well done, girl!

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LazyChef

Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2010

AMAZING! So much better than my family's old recipe for Dinner in a Pumpkin. This Pumpkin Stew will be the new tradition in our household for Halloween. I changed the recipe by adding 3 cups of water instead of one (there were so many veggies that it needed more liquid to make a stew, flavor was not compromised at all), and by simmering on the stove for only 1 hour, then cooking in the pumpkin in the oven for only 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Any longer would have over cooked the pumpkin! It was already slumping over after 1 1/2 hours. And, of course, I drew a jack-o-lantern face on the outside with a permanent marker before brushing with oil.

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