Dinner in a Pumpkin

This is a Halloween meal and it is sooooo good. I love it. It has always been a tradition at my house to have this for halloween!

1 small to medium pumpkin
1 onion, chopped
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 lbs ground beef
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained -optional

Cut off top of pumpkin, and thoroughly clean out the seeds and pulp. Preheat oven to 350*. In large skillet saute onions in oil until tender. Add meat and brown. Drain drippings. Add soy sauce, brown sugar ,mushrooms, and soup. Simmer 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into the pumpkin. Replace lid and put on baking sheet. Bake 1 hr or until inside meat of pumpkin is tender.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or add left over chicken or turkey at the end)
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 onion, chopped
2 qt. water
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 large carrots, sliced
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 teaspoons salt

Boil above ingredients for 1 hours. When chicken is tender, remove from broth and cut into 1 inch pieces and set aside. If the liquid has reduced too much you can add some more water at this point. Add 2 cups of uncooked noodles and continue to boil for 20 minutes.

Cream Sauce
¾ cup butter
1 cup flour
4 cups milk

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened (get it pretty thick). Add salt and pepper. Add cream sauce to broth/noodle mixture. If the soup is too thin after adding the cream mixture, continue cooking until desired thickness.

Note: Once you cream sauce has thickened, do not allow to boil as it may separate.Also, if cream sauce has a strong white sauce flavor, add ½ to 1 tsp. lemon juice.

***I got this recipe from Real Mom Kitchen and it is sooo yummy!