• Cooking Time: 240
• Preparation Time: 55
• 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
• 3 tbs vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3 large potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped (I replace this with fresh sliced mushrooms which I enjoy more)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbs beef bouillon granules
• 1 sugar pumpkin (10 - 12 lbs, must fit in the oven with one rack in the lowest position)

1. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place beef in the saucepan & cook until evenly brown. Mix in water, potatoes, carrots, bell pepper/mushrooms, garlic, onion, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer approximately 2 hours.
2. Dissolve the bouillon into the beef mixture. Stir in the tomatoes.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
4. While this is cooking, cut top off the pumpkin (angle the knife outward when cutting so that the top has a "ledge" to sit on when replaced) & remove seeds & pulp. If there is a stem, cut it short so that the pumpkin will fit in the oven without touching the top. Put aluminum foil around the stem only. Place the pumpkin in a heavy baking pan. Fill the pumpkin with the beef mixture. Brush outside of the pumpkin with remaining oil.
5. Bake in preheated oven 2 hours or until tender. Serve the stew from the pumpkin, scraping out some of the pumpkin meat with each serving.

I was looking around online for something unique and delicious to start an Autumn tradition and found this on allrecipes. Since my husband and guests enjoyed it so much that first year, I've made it every year since