Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

I haven't done a lot of baking this summer, much to the chagrin of my family and friends I'm sure. I haven't been motivated, it's been too hot, I don't want to deal with the dishes, etc.; I have tons of excuses, but the bottom line is that I've been using my sweets allowance for Twix ice cream bars. You guys know those exist, right?

I did manage to pull myself out of my baking funk long enough to make this pie for a recent family gathering, and I'm so glad I did, because this is one amazing dessert. There's no gelatin here -- just a tart-sweet pile of strawberries atop a creamy, tangy cream cheese layer, all nestled within a buttery crust. Needless to say, slices of this pie, topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream, were very well-received. It's summer on a plate -- and well worth turning on the oven for.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
adapted from Busy Cooks on About.com

Pastry for 1 9-inch pie
6 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 vanilla bean
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup whipped topping

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, fluting the edges. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Cool completely.

2. Thoroughly mash 1 1/2 cups of the strawberries. Mix sugar and corn starch in a heavy saucepan and stir in the strawberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Cook and stir for one minute and remove from heat. Scrape the pods from the vanilla bean and stir into the strawberry mixture. Cool completely.

3. Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread the cream cheese mixture into the cooled pie crust.

4. Slice the remaining strawberries and place them evenly over the cream cheese layer. Pour the cooked and cooled strawberry mixture over the top. Chill for 3 to 4 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Granola Pie

My cooking club's theme for January was "childhood favorites," and as soon as I was assigned the dessert course I knew exactly what I was going to make. This recipe isn't exactly a childhood favorite, because I don't think my mom started making it until I was a teenager -- but once she started making this pie I never stopped asking for it, and we probably had it at least once a month. I'd never made it myself before, but I knew it's what I had to make for cooking club.

This pie was every bit as delicious as I remembered. I know it sounds a little strange -- granola bars crushed up in pie? -- but it just works. The granola bars give it such a delicious texture and work perfectly with the walnuts, and the chocolate chips make this so rich. I've only ever made this with oats and honey granola bars, but I bet you could use any flavor and get delicious results. I like eating it with a (large) dollop of whipped cream on top, which is the perfect thing to cut through all the sweet richness.

Granola Pie

slightly adapted from Pillsbury

Crust for 1 9-inch pie

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, lightly beaten

4 crunchy oats and honey granola bars, crushed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned will work)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whipped cream for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges.

2. Microwave butter on high for 1 minute or until melted. Sitr in brown sugar and corn syrup until blended. Beat in salt, vanilla and eggs. Stir crushed granola bars, walnuts, oats, and chocolate chips into the brown sugar mixture. Pour into the crust-lined pie plate.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. During the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover the crust with strips of foil to avoid over-browning. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve at any temperature with whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.    

Nutella Cheesecake Crescents

I'll be honest: I just don't buy the idea of Nutella as a healthy breakfast food. I know it's made with skim milk and all that, but the fact that it is basically a chocolate-hazelnut spread definitely makes me consider it more of a dessert. It should be noted, however, that just because I don't think of Nutella as breakfast food doesn't mean I won't eat it as breakfast food. That's where these Nutella cheesecake crescents come in.

In this recipe, crescent rolls are wrapped around Nutella and cheesecake filling for a sweet breakfast treat. The original recipe calls for them to be turned into twists, but my crescent rolls weren't agreeing with me that day and the whole twist thing didn't happen. I just molded them into breadstick-like shapes, which worked fine and was much less fussy. The filling is sweet and creamy and rich. They're definitely best served warm right out of the oven. The boys went nuts over them, and the adults thought they were delicious too!

Nutella Cheesecake Crescents

adapted from Inside BruCrew Life

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Press two triangles together to form a rectangle. Spoon a large tablespoon of Nutella down the right side of the center. Repeat with a large tablespoon of cheesecake filling down the left side of the center. Fold the edges of the rolls over the filling. Press the seams together at the middle and the end. Flip the roll over so that the seam is underneath. Press together any seams that come undone.

3. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until light brown. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Maple Cream Pie

 

I mentioned earlier in the week that my dessert contribution for Thanksgiving dinner this year was a maple cream pie. I promised to share it if it was a hit. And well, since I'm writing about it today, a mere one day after Thanksgiving, that should tell you a little something about how well it went over with my family.

This is such a delicious pie. It's so smooth and creamy, and the maple flavor is perfect. I think sometimes maple syrup can be too cloyingly sweet, but its flavor in this pie is mild and cool and absolutely spot-on. There's not any sugar in the pie at all -- it relies on the maple syrup alone for sweetness. And to think that I didn't used to like maple syrup. The wonder of this pie would have been lost of me, which truly would have been a shame. Thankfully I've reformed!

My family loved this pie so much. I wish I had some leftover for breakfast this morning but those animals ate it all! :)

Try this. I promise your family will love it too.

Maple Cream Pie

from Taste of Home

 

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches) 

1/4 cup cornstarch 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 3/4 cups milk, divided 

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup, divided 

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

  

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Flute edges. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

2. For filling, combine cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Gradually stir in remaining milk and 3/4 cup maple syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. 

3. Stir in a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter. Cool to room temperature without stirring.

4. In a chilled small bowl, beat cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold 1 cup cream into cooled filling; spoon into crust. Fold remaining syrup into remaining cream; frost top of pie. Refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 8 servings.

Ranchero Chicken Crostada

There are a couple of alternate titles that would fit this recipe perfectly. One is “Savory Mexican Chicken Taco Pizza Pie.” The other is the one that I prefer, which is “Complete and Total Deliciousness.”

When you start out with a list of ingredients like the ones below, there’s really no way possible that the end result could taste bad. I love the way the ranch seasoning blend works with the Mexican spices and vegetables in this dish. I played around with the filling ingredients a little bit, and I mixed together equal parts ranch dressing and sour cream to dollop on the top. You could even prepare the filling the night before to make this perfect for a weeknight dinner. It doesn’t take very long, it’s a break from the norm, and it’s really, really delicious.

Ranchero Chicken Crostada
adapted from My Recipe Box

1 prepared pie crust, thawed
2 cups shredded chicken
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 to 1 1/2 cups mild salsa
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
Ranch dressing and sour cream for serving

1. Roll crust onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In large mixing bowl, mix chicken, beans, corn, salsa, ranch dressing mix, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

3. Spread chicken mixture onto pie dough leaving a 1-2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Fold the border up over chicken to make a deep-dish pizza-like crust, forming pleats every 2 inches or so. Brush olive oil on crust.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then cut into triangular slices. Stir together equal parts ranch dressing and sour cream, and dollop on each serving.

One year ago: Chicken cordon bleu in pastry

Caramelized Onion, Tomato, and Brie Galette

 

I know it sounds like I’m getting fancy (again! two days in a row!), but I promise, this recipe is so incredibly easy. I can understand how you’d be thrown off by the French word in the title of the recipe. I was, too, and I’ll admit that I had to look up what a “galette” actually is (besides something very very delicious). Basically, it’s just a free-form tart. Fancy French word decoded!

It’s not very often that I just have brie “waiting to be used,” but right before I made this recipe I did, so I was specifically looking for something to use it in when Deborah posted this recipe. It was meant to be. This is my favorite kind of food: simple ingredients, simple flavors, simply delicious.

I loved all the flavors of this galette. The sweet caramelized onions paired so perfectly with the rich brie and juicy, slightly charred tomatoes. I used a store-bought pie crust (gasp!), which worked just fine and was buttery and flaky. (If you want the homemade pastry recipe, just click over to Deborah's site.) I will definitely be making this again!

Caramelized Onion, Tomato, and Brie Galette
adapted from Taste and Tell, originally from The Maine Summers Cookbook

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 pie crust
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4 ounces brie, rind removed, cubed
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent. Lower the heat to low and cover the pan and cook slowly until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

3. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the pie crust to 1/8-inch thick and transfer it to the parchment paper. Sprinkle on the onions and garlic evenly, leaving a border around the edge.

4. Scatter the tomatoes on top, and then the cheese. Grind the pepper on top and sprinkle on the parsley.

5. Fold the border up onto the filling. Brush the border with the egg and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden.

One year ago: Summer fruit salad with creamy lime dressing

Chicken Cordon Bleu in Pastry

I have a winner winner chicken dinner recipe to share with you today (and no, it’s not a Guy Fieri recipe, but I don’t think he’ll mind if I borrow his expression). This recipe comes from my friend Mercedes over at The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife (if you haven’t checked out her blog, her food is fantastic, so go now!). I knew we’d love this as soon as she posted it. Cream cheese, chicken, ham, and cheese, all wrapped up in a pretty little crescent roll package? Sign me up!

Not only is this recipe absolutely delicious -- every bit as good as it looks and sounds -- it’s also really forgiving, as I learned the night I made it. Right after I put the chicken in the oven, our power went out. I was upset that dinner was going to be ruined, but by the time the power came back on about 20 minutes later, dinner had virtually cooked itself. Can’t beat that!

The only changes I made to the recipe were to sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, and to use provolone cheese instead of Swiss because I had some to use up (and, of course, I used more cream cheese than the recipe called for; are you surprised?). This was a really tasty dinner, so simple to prepare but fancy enough for company. I’ll definitely be making this one again. Thanks for a great recipe, Mercedes!

Chicken Cordon Bleu in Pastry
adapted from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife, who got it from Taste of Home

1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
4 thin slices deli ham
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices Swiss or provolone cheese

1. On an ungreased baking sheet, separate dough into four rectangles; seal perforations. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese lengthwise down the center of each rectangle. Place ham widthwise over dough. Arrange chicken in center of each rectangle. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap ham around chicken. At each long end, pinch dough together around chicken, forming points.

2. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 170 degrees. Top with slice of Swiss or provolone cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and pastry is golden brown.

Summer Vegetable and Pesto Tart

Summer is really slipping away from me this year. There are so many things I wanted to do that we haven’t had a chance to -- mostly because of the hot, humid, downright miserable weather we’ve been having in our part of the country. So I haven’t been able to take advantage of summer in the spending-all-day-outside, relishing-the-sun sort of way, but I have been enjoying this summer’s bounty of produce. I don’t know what it is (maybe it’s the humidity I just got done cursing), but this summer’s produce has been some of the best I can remember in recent memory. The sweet corn is so sweet, the tomatoes are so juicy, the zucchini is so...abundant. (Well. To be fair, zucchini is pretty much always abundant, right?)

This easy tart is the perfect dish to highlight summer’s bounty. Sauteed vegetables are tossed with pesto and piled on top of creamy goat cheese in a store-bought pie crust, then the whole thing is topped with tomatoes, a little bit of cheese, and fresh basil. There’s nothing not to love about this seasonal, fresh, flavorful tart. This meal is the perfect way to begin saying farewell to summer.

Summer Vegetable and Pesto Tart
source: adapted from Family Fun

1 refrigerated piecrust (half a 14.1-ounce package), at room temperature
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 small yellow squash, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Kernels cut from 1 ear of sweet corn
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons basil pesto
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg
10 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick silicone baking sheet. Place the piecrust on the prepared baking sheet. Fold and pinch a 1/2-inch rim around the edges of the dough, then set it aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, and corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until they're lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl to cool, then toss them with the pesto.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the goat cheese and the egg until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the egg and cheese mixture over the piecrust. Spread the cooked vegetables on top, then evenly scatter the tomatoes and cheese over the vegetables.

5. Bake the tart until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let it cool slightly on a wire rack. Sprinkle it with basil before serving.

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets

You will be surprised to discover that today’s recipe contains cream cheese. I mean, you know how much I hate, loathe and despise cream cheese, right?

...

Okay, I can’t keep up this ruse. To even lie about not liking cream cheese feels like blasphemy. But at least in this recipe, I’m not using plain cream cheese, and it’s not in a pasta sauce. So that’s sort of different.

Seriously, though, I can’t say enough good things about these pastries. The filling is so creamy and flavorful, and much to my surprise, the leftovers heated up really well for lunch the next day. I made ours larger than the original recipe indicates (I’ve linked to it below) to make a meal out of them, and I omitted the sun-dried tomatoes (I don’t use them enough to justify paying nearly $8.00 for a small jar, thankyouverymuch). I think roasted red pepper would be a delicious addition to these, as would corn. They were just wonderful as-is, though, and so easy to make that I’m pretty sure we’ll be having them for dinner a lot.

(Also, the original recipe gives instructions for freezing these, which I’m definitely going to try. I’d love to have a supply of these on hand to make at all times!)

Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pastry Pockets
source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 8-ounce container chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1/3 cup cooked crumbled bacon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Warm cream cheese in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to soften. Place in a mixing bowl with mozzarella cheese, chicken, and bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and set aside.

3. Defrost puff pastry sheets according to package directions. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll one sheet at a time into a 12 x 12 inch square. Cut each sheet into four equal squares.

4. Place about 1/8 of cream cheese mixture onto each square. With your finger, brush a dab of water around the edges of each square and fold over diagonally to make a triangle. Press edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.

5. After stuffing and folding each pastry, place on a baking sheet. Whisk egg and water together and brush over the top of each pastry. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Can also be served at room temperature.

Broccoli Pie

My endless search (one could call it an obsession, maybe) for new vegetarian entrees has led me to lots of quiches and fritattas. I can't even tell you how many egg-based dishes I've bookmarked to try, but it is a lot. When I saw this recipe for broccoli "pie" (not technically a quiche because there's no heavy cream and not much liquid at all; not a fritatta because it has a crust), I knew we would love it, and I couldn't wait to try it.

We did love it! This comes together so easily and doesn't require much clean-up at all, and it is absolutely delicious too. I loved the creative use of packaged soup mix, which doesn't taste like it's a mix in this recipe and really adds a lot of great flavor to this dish. Served with a simple salad and some crusty bread, this broccoli pie makes an excellent brunch, lunch or dinner.

Broccoli Pie
source: seen on My Tasty Treasures and slightly adapted from Stacey Snacks

2 cups of steamed broccoli florets
3 eggs
1 cup of whole milk
Dash hot sauce
2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package of Lipton vegetable soup mix
1 pastry crust, rolled out and fitted into a 9-inch pie plate.

1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and hot sauce together. Add broccoli, cheese and soup mix. Pour into unbaked pastry.

2. Bake on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes at 350 degrees until top is golden. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Shrimp Pot Pies

I don't like watching the Food Network nearly as much as I used to. I'm not a fan of a lot of the new personalities on the channel. That being said, however, it's still my channel of choice for background noise during the day.

One day a few weeks ago, I happened to catch an episode of Cooking for Real with Sunny Anderson. She was making individual shrimp pot pies, and they looked and sounded so good that I just had to give them a try. And I am really, really glad I did. This meal skyrocketed right to the top of my favorite meals, ever. These shrimp pot pies are so incredibly delicious. The filling is rich and creamy and spicy and sweet and just...oh. So good. I can't adequately do them justice, so you'll just have to go make them yourself. Seriously. MAKE THEM. I guarantee that you will love them.

Sunny made her own puff pastry shells, but that was a little bit too fussy for me, so I'd planned on buying the pre-made shells for this recipe. However, my grocery store apparently doesn't carry the pre-made shells, so I had to improvise further. I cut one sheet of puff pastry into fourths, baked them, and then halved them and put the filling inside. They probably didn't look as pretty as Sunny's, but they were a lot easier to assemble.

If you make no other recipe on my blog, please, I beg you, make this one. These shrimp pot pies are one of the best things I have ever made. We all loved them, and I think they're well on their way to becoming a family favorite.

Shrimp Pot Pies
source: adapted from Food Network

1 egg
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Flour, for dusting
1 package frozen medium shrimp (buy them shelled and deveined)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small can mushrooms, drained
2 cloves minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and white pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, whisk egg and water until well blended. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Unfold puff pastry, roll with a rolling pin to remove creases, and cut into fourths. Brush each piece with egg wash and bake in the middle of the oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and gently halve each pastry with a bread knife.

3. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Saute the shrimp, 1 minute per side. Remove shrimp and set aside.

4. Add remaining butter to the pan and saute onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and thyme, until softened about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add wine, bring to a simmer and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the cream and bring back to a simmer until the sauce thickens to a gravy consistency, about 12 to 15 minutes.

5. Place the shrimp back into the sauce to coat. Remove thyme and season with salt and white pepper. Ladle the shrimp mixture onto the bottom halves of the puff pastry; top with other halves.

Mushroom and Spinach Turnovers

I'm finding that I'm really enjoying mushrooms lately, which is odd for me since I spent most of my life disliking them unless they were on pizza. This bodes well for my venture into twice-weekly vegetarianism, since mushrooms are meaty and hearty and filling and are part of so many meatless entrees. My almost two-year-old, however? He is not a fan. He picked the mushrooms out of his turnover and only ate the pastry and the spinach. Not that I'm complaining -- my toddler is eating spinach. That in itself makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

I found this recipe in a recent issue of Rachael Ray's magazine, and I knew immediately that I wanted to put it on our menu. Mushrooms mixed with cream cheese and stuffed into puff pastry? I am IN. I changed the recipe up a bit to reflect what I had on hand, and I put the spinach in the pastry instead of serving it as a salad on the side as Rachael suggests, and I have to say we all really enjoyed these. They were really filling as an entree, but could easily be made into small pockets and served as a yummy appetizer. I definitely recommend giving these a try!

Mushroom and Spinach Turnovers
source: adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, February 2010

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups baby spinach
Salt and pepper
Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted. Transfer to a bowl along with the lemon peel; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream cheese and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet to an 11-inch square, then halve it. Repeat with the other pastry sheet. Arrange one-quarter of the filling crosswise on 1 half of each piece of pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the borders with some egg, then fold the pastry to enclose the filling. Cut 2 vents into each turnover and crimp the edges; transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with more egg. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 18 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways: A Thanksgiving Two-For-One!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope all of you had wonderful days with your families and friends. We sure did, but I am absolutely exhausted tonight. It's a good exhausted, though.

I have two delicious sweet potato recipes to share with you today, and while it's obviously too late to include them in your Thanksgiving spreads, they'd both be great for Christmas too. First up is a recipe that's new for me this year: sweet potato pie.

This was my first time making a sweet potato pie, and I was surprised by how much the end result tasted like pumpkin pie. It's spiced the same way and hits the same sweet, earthy notes as pumpkin pie. It was so easy to make because everything gets mixed up in the food processor. Don't skip the streusel, either; it makes this pie really special and extra-delicious. I can't wait to have the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow morning! (Yes. Pie for breakfast. I think the day after Thanksgiving is the only day one can get away with this, so I take full advantage.)

Sweet Potato Pie with Streusel Topping
source: Cooking Club of America

For the pie:
Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie crust
1 17.2-ounce can sweet potatoes
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 9-inch pie pan with dough; flute edges. Pulse sweet potatoes in food processor or blender until smooth. Add all remaining pie ingredients; process until blended. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour in small bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; sprinkle pie with streusel. Cover crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake 40 minutes or until puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

***

Next up is a recipe of my mom's that she used to make every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas: sweet potato casserole.

Everyone has their own version of this, I think, many of which use marshmallows in the topping. Since I'm not a huge fan of marshmallows, I love my mom's version, which is topped with streusel instead. It's so incredibly good, and whenever I take it to any type of family dinner I never come home with leftovers. This is easily prepared the night before. If you're a sweet potato fan, this casserole is a must-try!

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes, prepared without milk or butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

1. In a mixing bowl or food processor, beat sweet potatoes, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture.

3. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

***

Believe it or not, today's post is my 300th here on this little blog. I hope you've enjoyed reading about the food I've made as much as I've enjoyed preparing it and sharing it with you. To celebrate, I'll be doing my first ever give-away here tomorrow, so be sure to check back. I think it's something most of you will really like -- and it's just in time for Christmas, too!

Spaghetti Pie

The recipe that I'm sharing with you today is pure comfort food. I just don't know if it gets any better than spaghetti pie. What's so great about this recipe (besides the fact that it is scrumptious, of course) is that even though it looks fancy and complicated, it really couldn't be simpler to prepare. It doesn't take any more time than a traditional lasagna, and I think it's just as tasty.

I changed the recipe quite a bit. Instead of using eggplant, I used a combination of green pepper, onion, and mushrooms. I also used shredded cheese rather than fresh mozzarella. All of these changes are reflected below, but just know that you could fill this puff pastry crust with absolutely any combination of pasta, sauce and cheese and you'd be in for a treat. This dish is simple enough for a family dinner but impressive enough for company. I will definitely make it again!


Spaghetti Pie
source: seen on Lindsey's Kitchen, adapted from Food Network

1 pound Italian sausage

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups jarred marinara sauce (a full jar)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces spaghetti noodles
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese (4 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 (17 1/4-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

2. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the sausage is almost cooked through. Add the green pepper, onion, and mushrooms and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the garlic and saute about 2 minutes longer.

3. Stir in marinara sauce and crushed red pepper flakes and heat through.

4. Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is very al dente. Drain. Toss the pasta with the sauce mixture. Add the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and toss to combine. Cool completely.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 1/2-inch square. Roll dough around rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch springform pan by unrolling the dough onto the pan. Allow the excess pastry to hang over the rim. Press the pastry sheet gently into the sides of the pan to ensure the dough won't break when you spoon in the the pasta. Fold creased pieces of the dough flat against the side of the pan. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan. Place the second pastry sheet atop the pasta filling. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1 inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.

6. Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the pan sides and serve.

Sour Cream Peach Pecan Pie

Out of all the cooking magazines I subscribe to (and oh, there are many), the one I've been getting the longest is Taste of Home. I have about a million Taste of Home cookbooks, too. But lately I've been thinking that it may be time to let my subscription lapse. The recipes have begun to lose their appeal for me. That is -- until I received the current issue in the mail. As soon as I saw this pie, I knew I had to make it. As soon as I possibly could. And man, am I ever glad I did!

This pie is a-mazing. It takes advantage of juicy ripe summer peaches (using fresh peaches is a must!) and combines them with a creamy, tangy, custardy filling and a sweet, buttery, crispy topping. What more could you possibly ask for in a summer dessert? Not a thing!

If you get a chance this summer, you should definitely try this pie. I really don't think you'll be disappointed!

Sour Cream Peach Pecan Pie
source: Taste of Home Magazine, August/September 2009

For the pie:

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
4 cups sliced peeled peaches
2 tablespoons peach preserves (ommited, and really not necessary in the first place. Ripe peaches have plenty of juice and the pie has enough sugar in it.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges.

2. Combine peaches and preserves (if using). Transfer to pastry. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, sour cream, egg yolks, flour and vanilla. Pour over peaches.

3. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugars, pecans and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly; sprinkle over pie. Cover edges of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator.

Broccoli Ham Turnovers

Last night's dinner was so, so good. Of course, when you stuff pretty much anything in a pie crust it's bound to be tasty, but the combination of broccoli, ham and cheese in this dish was particularly delicious. What's awesome about this is that you can stuff the pastry with pretty much anything -- berries and cream cheese, apple pie filling, pizza ingredients, tons of vegetables, or spinach, roasted red peppers and feta...I now have a thousand different recipe ideas, all thanks to this recipe! This was a delicious, comforting dinner, and I definitely recommend that you start "stuffing" things in your kitchen!


Broccoli Ham Turnovers
Source: Taste of Home's Best of Country Breakfast and Brunch, also found on the Taste of Home website

2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used about 1 cup of shredded cheese and 1/2 cup of Velveeta)
1/2 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (omitted)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (omitted)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pastry for double-crust pie
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1. Place broccoli in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a saucepan. Cover and steam for 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse in cold water; drain well.

2. In a bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, ham, onions, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3. On a floured surface, roll out pastry; cut each in half. Place 1 and 1/2 cups filling on one side of each half; flatten filling with a spoon. Combine egg and cream; brush some over pastry edges. Fold pastry over filling. Seal edges and prick tops with a fork.

4. Place on a baking sheet; brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.