Stuffed Squash With Wild Rice

A delicious and well rounded meal, with a wonderful presentation! Scoop vegetables out right along with the main course! Great with Acorn squash, pumpkins or any hollow gourd. I commonly substitute the ground beef for ground buffalo, with rave reviews.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 3  large acorn squash or 1  medium pumpkin
• 1  cup wild rice
• 2  cups chicken bouillon
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  lb ground beef
• 1⁄2 cup  finely chopped onion
• 3⁄4 cup  sliced mushrooms
• 1  cup  grated carrot (around 2 med carrots)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon basil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2  teaspoons dried dill
• 1 (16 ounce) can plum tomatoes
• 1⁄2 cup ketchup
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 2  tablespoons brown sugar
• 3⁄4 cup  grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Cook the rice as normal using 2 cups chicken bouillon as the liquid.
2. Chop the top off the gourds, and scrap clean. Rinse gourds with water inside and out. Preheat the oven to 350.
3. Lightly brown the olive oil, ground beef and onion together in a large skillet for about 4 minutes. Add in mushrooms, carrots, plum tomatoes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and dried dill. Cook and mix for another 10 minutes or so.
4. Mix 1/2 cup ketchup with water and brown sugar.
5. Put clean gourds in a deep casserole dish and and spoon filling into each. When gourds are full put spare filling between them. Pour the ketchup mixture evenly over each gourd and firmly place the top of the gourd over each one. Put in the oven to bake for about 40 minutes, or until the flesh of the gourd gives fairly easily when poked with a fork.
6. Take the gourds out sprinke cheese over each one, and bake another 10 minutes.
7. Serve and eat hot!