Halloween Pumpkin Stew

Wash pumpkin and cut off the top, creating a lid. Scoop out seeds and stringy fibers. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add salt to butter and mix. Brush the inside of pumpkin with the butter mixture.

Chop onion and cut garlic into small pieces. Put onion, garlic, and ground beef in a large frying pan; fry over medium-low heat until meat is browned. Drain excess fat. Add rice, pepper, thyme, tomatoes, and beef broth to hamburger mixture. Mix well. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place pumpkin in a shallow baking dish and rill pumpkin with ground beef mixture. Put lid on pumpkin and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until pumpkin flesh is tender but firm. Remove lid from pumpkin and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes. Serve from pumpkin, scooping pumpkin pulp out with ground beef mixture.

You might want to use small individual pumpkins.