Pumpkin Recipes for Thanksgiving

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Get out the big mixing bowl and beat together eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Combine the dry ingredients, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this to the pumpkin mixture and beat together well. Pour your mixture into an ungreased jellyroll pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

Recommended Frosting:

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla. Add just enough milk to help get a nice spreading consistency. Spread over cooled Pumpkin Bars.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or turkey)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounces tomato sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 hamburger buns, split

American cheese slices

Instructions:

Brown ground beef (or turkey) and drain off fat. Add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Stir in pumpkin, tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder and salt. Bring up to boiling point. Reduce heat simmer for 10 -15 minutes.

Spoon mixture onto buns and top with cheese, place under broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese watching so it doesn't burn.

Ingredients:

4 miniature pumpkins

1/4 cup raisins, plumped

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup minced onion

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 slightly beaten egg

Instructions:

Place whole pumpkins in a baking pan; pour water to about 1 inch deep in the pan to surround the pumpkins for cooking. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 - 45 minutes until a knife slices into the pumpkin gently. Allow pumpkins to cool. Cut across the top to make a lid, just like it was a mini jack-o-lantern. Scoop the seeds and stringy goop out and discard. Scrape the fleshy part out and put on the cutting board. Chop the flesh.

Cover raisins with water and bring to boiling point, cover and let sit until ready to use.

Sauté the onions in butter.

Combine with pumpkin flesh, rice, almonds, raisins, cinnamon and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add the beaten egg to hold it all together.

Now you're ready to fill up your pumpkin shells!

Fill so that the filling is sticking up out above the top of shells, big heaping spoonfuls. Top each with it's lid and bake filled shells at 350 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes.

On both baking occasions be mindful of the stems getting to close to the heat source.