Jack O'Lantern Rice

1 medium pumpkin (large enough to hold 6 cups mixture)

1 pound well-seasoned whole hog sausage

3 cups cooked rice

1 tart red cooking apple, cored and chopped

1/2 cup each chopped onions and celery

1/2 cup raisins

1 tbs firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp each ground allspice and cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Cut off top of pumpkin; remove seeds and fibers. Set aside. Cook sausage in skillet, stirring to crumble. Drain well. Combine sausage with remaining ingredients; spoon into pumpkin shell. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, or until pulp inside pumpkin is tender. Spoon rice mixture from pumpkin. Scoop out cooked pumpkin; season with butter, salt, and pepper, if desired. Serve with rice mixture.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Note:
For other occasions spoon prepared rice mixture into buttered 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve with:
Fried Chicken, Tossed Green Salad, Flaky Biscuits, Cookie Goblins with Applesauce.

Return To:
Jambalaya, Rice Dressing, Rice Dishes

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Cajun Country -- New Iberia, Louisiana