Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

I know there is a love/hate thing goin' on with Brussels sprouts. I even admit that they don't look hugely appetizing in our picture (I have since figured out that the The Food Network's photographers are big, fat cheaters when it comes to taking pictures. My Brussels sprouts were the pretty green like in their pic just after the blanching part. After I looked at the photos of my greyish looking, peeling a little bit sprouts, I even debated blanching new ones and just taking photos of those so MY Brussels sprouts could be a pretty bright green too. But  truth in advertising won out.) Anyway. I happen to be someone who loves them. So when I was watching an episode of Giada years ago and saw Brussels sprouts prepared with pancetta, I was all over it.

I'm assuming most of you know that pancetta is a form of bacon, but if you didn't...it is.  Another form of glorious bacon.  It's just not smoked. You can usually find it near your deli by all the fancy cheeses and meats or even at the deli itself. I love to make this dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas because I tell myself, "I'm providing a vegetable...a nice, healthy vegetable........[with 3 oz. of pancetta per lb. of nice, healthy vegetable...but all that healthy stuff cancels out the pork fat, right?]."

If you care enough about the Brussels sprout to try to turn your kids (or your spouse) onto it or are willing to give it another chance yourself, I highly recommend giving this a shot.
~Leah 

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Recipe Type: Side dish, vegetable

Author: Leah (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed


• 2 Tbsp. olive oil


• 3 oz. paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped


• 2 garlic cloves, minced


• freshly ground black pepper


• 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth (LOW-SALT– I made the mistake once of just using regular because it was what I had. BIG mistake. The pancetta is salty!)

Instructions

1. Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes and drain.


2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until it is starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

My times (except for the 4 mins for blanching) are a little longer than Giada's original recipe. I like to get the pancetta as crispy as I can get it and I prefer my brussels sprouts to be REALLY browned. So, you can go longer or shorter than the times I gave to get them to your own preference.

3.1.09

 

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

One of my favorite things to do is bake. And even though I'm a planner by nature in every other part of my life, unless its for a party or holiday I never plan my baking. Typically when the mood strikes me I pull up my Pinterest "Sweets" board and scroll up and down until I find something that looks good. Its VERY rare that when I do find a recipe I like, that I have all of the necessary ingredients. So I look at recipes on Pinterest as more of an inspiration rather than exact directions.  I like to be creative! This recipe came from one of those moments.

There are millions of brownie variations out there. I think I've tried almost all of them, always in a semi-homeade kind of way. I honestly never find it necessary to make the brownies from scratch. Believe me, I've tried that route too lots of times. There are some good homemade recipes of course but I truly believe that none are as good as the Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix. Or at least none are SO much better that I ever put the time into making them from scratch. I usually buy the brownie mix from Costco in bulk so I'm always ready when my "baking mood" strikes. One of my favorite combos is peanut butter and chocolate. So one day when I perusing my Sweets board I saw a recipe for a chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter frosting. For the past few months I've been experimenting with buttercream frosting recipes trying to find the perfect one. So when I saw that cupcake recipe I decided to try out a peanut butter version. I'm not a huge cupcake fan so I decided to try the frosting on my beloved Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix, but of course with a twist. Instead of a pan of brownies (which you could do of course) I poured the batter into mini-muffin tins and added a few peanut butter chips to each one before baking. It turned out to be a perfect platform for an AWESOME frosting. If you like peanut butter, you will love this frosting. Feel free to use your favorite brownie mix, or make them from scratch if you're feeling fancy! Or just eat the frosting on a spoon- its really that good.

~Wendy

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 16 mins

Total time: 31 mins

Serves: 36-42 brownie bites

Ingredients

• Brownie Bites-


• Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix


• 1/3 c. vegetable oil


• 1 egg


• 1/4 c. water


• 1 1/2 c. peanut butter chips


• Peanut Butter Frosting-


• 4 c. powdered sugar


• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened


• 1 c. peanut butter


• 4-5 Tbsp. milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees


2. Line a mini-muffin tin with mini-cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray. Combine all of the brownie ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each muffin 3/4 full. Push 2-3 peanut butter chips down into the center of each brownie bite. Bake for 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a brownie bite comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.


3. While the brownies are cooling prepare the frosting.


4. In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar until all are combined. Then add milk, one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and light. Transfer the frosting to a ziploc bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe 1-2 Tbsp of the frosting onto each brownie bite. Garnish each with chopped peanuts or chocolate sprinkles.

Notes

This recipe can also be used to make normal cupcake-sized brownie bites. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake them for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

3.1.09

 

Crock Pot Barbeque Pulled Chicken

I could go on and on about a crock pot. Does using the term crock pot age me? Or is “slow cooker” just way more glamorous sounding? Whatever you call it, these babies are heaven sent. I feel SO in control of my life on the days when dinner is prepared by noon. And instead of inwardly groaning at about 4:30 when I should be in the kitchen starting dinner, kiddos and I stay out to play just a little bit longer.

This chicken has an awesome smoky flavor and a little bit of kick...not really the sweet and tangy flavors you expect from something called barbeque. The sauce goes together pretty quick and is a little more complex than something you’d get out of a bottle. This has been a big hit at family get-togethers when served with some sour cream, red onion, and jalapeno slices.

 

Crock Pot Barbeque Pulled Chicken

Author: Erin (adapted from Eatingwell.com)

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce


• 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles, drained


• 3 T cider vinegar


• 2 T honey


• 1 T smoked paprika


• 1 T tomato paste


• 1 T Worcestershire sauce


• 2 t. dry mustard


• 1 t. ground chipotle chile


• 1/2 t. salt


• 2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat


• 1 small onion, finely chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

1. Whisk together first 10 ingredients.


2. Pour over chicken, onion, and garlic in crock pot.


3. Cook on low for 5 hours.


4. Shred chicken with a couple of forks right in the crock pot. It may look like a lot of liquid after cooking, but it incorporates nicely into the shredded meat.


5. Serve on rolls with sour cream, red onions, and jalepeno slices.

Notes

I have also made this dish using chicken breasts instead of thighs. It's leaner and just as good in my opinion. My recommendation if you make this substitution is to watch your cooking time. Breasts don't take as long to cook and can start to dry out pretty fast. I would start checking it at about 3-4 hours.

3.1.09

Almond Cake

In the interest of complete honesty on this blog, I have to say...I got nuthin'.

I don't know if it's the post-turkey, end-of- the-kids-being-home-all-week, ready-for-bed brain but I've been sitting here for 2 hours telling myself, "Alright! Pick up that netbook and write about that awesome almond cake for your post for tomorrow!" I knew that sometimes I'd struggle trying to figure out what to say about some recipes if I didn't have some personal anecdote about it, but I certainly did not think it would happen on my THIRD post! I even just asked my Lucky guy if he had any special memories about it (I got the recipe from his mom when we were dating) and he said, "No, I just remember that my mom would make it and I liked it."

Ok. Thanks. ;)

So, I can give you the facts. This cake is like pound cake on crack – if you like almond, you'll love this cake. It is a recipe from a SOLO cookbook from 1988 and is one of the easiest cakes I make. Always a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!

~Leah

AlmondCake

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Solo)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 c. butter, softened


• 1 c. sugar


• 3 eggs


• 1 can Solo almond filling


• 2 1/4 c flour


• 2 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/4 c. milk


• Almond Glaze:


• 1 c confectioners/powdered sugar


• 2-3 Tbsp. whipping cream


• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (I always cheat and use the baking spray with flour in it) a 12-cup Bundt pan.


2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.


3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after adding each one.


4. Beat in almond filling until blended.


5. In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt untli mixed.


6. Add to the almond mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.


7. Beat until blended.


8. Spread batter evenly in the prepared bundt pan.


9. Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick/skewer comes out clean.


10. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on the rack.


11. To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, cream, and almond extract in a small bowl and stir until blended and smooth. Spoon or drizzle over the top of the cake. Let stand until the glaze is set.

Notes

Make sure you either grease and flour or spray your pan really well! If you are using a dark bundt pan, reduce your oven temp to 325. Darker pans are supposed to bake faster, so I had set my timer for 40 minutes to check, but ended up baking the cake 55 minutes.
When making the glaze, start with 2 Tbsp of the cream and check the consisitency for how you like it. I feel like every time I make it, I use different proportions and I have no idea why...maybe different brands?
Also, if you're going to drizzle, I like to use a decorator icing bag or a ziploc with a small hole snipped in the bottom corner. I can never seem to drizzle nicely when I use a spoon.

3.1.09

 

Greek Chopped Salad

Nothing makes me feel like I’ve done something good for myself like eating a salad. But the fact is, nothing beats one that someone else has prepared and placed in front of me, as a good salad can be somewhat labor intensive to put together. For me to fit one in as a weeknight meal is really saying something....it HAS to taste awesome. I actually chopped the vegetables in preparation for this post with my 11 month old standing on my feet. No kitchen gadget or utensil I handed down to him was going to buy me the 10 more minutes I needed to get dinner on the table. You know what? It was worth it.

One of my go-to’s is the Greek chopped salad from Eatingwell.com. I was first drawn to this recipe because a chopped salad just rocks. I love getting a little of everything in each bite. And after making this for the first time, I had to credit it for two things:

1. I had no idea that I DO like feta cheese. I think I figured crumbly cheese = bad cheese. Because I can say with certainty that I DO NOT like blue cheese.

2. Making your own salad dressing is absolutely no big deal and completely worth it.

I find that I can adapt this salad pretty easily for my kids too. They are at that stage where everything tastes better separated into the little compartments of a divided plate. So before tossing everything together with dressing, I set aside some chicken, tomatoes, and cucumbers and then (usually) everyone is happy. Enjoy!

 

 

Greek Chopped Salad

Author: Erin

Prep time: 25 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar


• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 t. dried oregano


• 1 t. garlic powder


• 1/4 t. salt


• 1/4 t. pepper


• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce


• 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken


• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped


• 1 medium cucumber, chopped


• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion


• 1/2 cup sliced black olives


• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. Whisk first 6 ingredients together for dressing.


2. Pour over remaining ingredients and toss.

Notes

Regular black olives are great, but using a kalamata olive is a real treat. Does anyone else feel that way? :)

3.1.09

Mama Jack's Pot Pie

Listen up busy Mamas- this one's for you! Before I give the details let me just say that my Mom is a great cook. She really is. But when I was in high school our lives were REALLY busy. Like many of you are now, my Mom was balancing work, three kids in school, cheerleading, school clubs, friend overnights... the list goes on. So quick dinners were critical and there wasn't a lot of time to experiment. There are a few meals I remember eating a lot- spaghetti, tacos, and this pot pie. So when my life became crazy busy I pulled out some of those Mama Jack (her actual name is Jackie- but my childhood friends call her "Mama Jack") recipes. When I was working full time it was impossible to plan out my meals for the week. I often didn't know what time I'd be home, let alone how much time I would have to cook! This is an ideal recipe for that situation. It is so simple AND a crowd pleaser. Did I mention simple? There are five ingredients (most of which you likely already have) and it takes about 15 minutes to cook. Try it and you too will soon be indebted to my Mom! Warning though, this is not a fancy or beautiful dish. I believe Erin called it "rustic" looking. No worries though- I promise that the taste and simplicity will more than make up for it.

~Wendy



 

Mama Jack's Pot Pie

Recipe Type: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep time: 7 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 22 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground turkey or beef


• 16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies


• 1 bottle of bbq sauce (recommend Sweet Baby Rays)


• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese


• 2 cans of crescent rolls

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. Brown the ground turkey/beef in a skillet and drain grease. Return to heat and add in the frozen veggies and BBQ sauce. Stir over the heat until warm throughout.


3. Roll out one can of crescent rolls on a standard sized cookie sheet. Stretch the dough out smoothly to form a rectangle covering most of the pan. On the counter or on another pan do the same to the second can of crescent rolls. Spoon the meat/veggie mixture on top of the first rolled-out crescent roll. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Cover with the second rolled-out crescent roll, pinching around all of the edges to insure it is a sealed rectangle.


4. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove when the dough is a golden brown. Let pot pie sit for several minutes to cool slightly, cut into rectangles and serve.

Notes

I typically make this with ground turkey. If you use ground beef be sure to drain it well. If not drained fully the extra grease from the beef can make the bottom of the pot pie a little soggy. I prefer to make this with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. My Mom uses Hunts. They both work- as will any type you prefer- they just add subtle differences to the sweet and/or spiciness of the finished pot pie.

3.1.09

 

Asparagus Roll-Ups with Bacon

So as I was trying to formulate in my head what I would write about these, I was thinking of saying something along the lines of, "even if you don't like asparagus, you'll like these" and I realized I have a theme going. Of the four recipes I am posting this month,  three of them qualify under this "even if you don't like it, try it" mantra.  (See Pumpkin Squares and the as yet to come Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta.)

I don't know why this is. It isn't like I planned to post things that people may not like. It's actually a horrible idea the more I think about it. "Let's start a food blog! OK! I'm gonna pick recipes that a lot of people will take one look at and say, 'Ew. No thank you!'" Genius.

I guess when I was weeding through my ridiculous amount of recipe options trying to pick which ones I wanted to start with, I was (subconsciously or consciously) choosing ones that are so fabulously delicious despite what they may be made out of. They have that little bit of a surprise factor that takes something you've probably had before and may not have liked (asparagus {canned no less}, pumpkin, or brussels sprouts) and turns it into this great recipe that you will make over and over again. In fact, this and the pumpkin squares are recipes my mom got from friends of hers when I was little (which was a LOOOONG time ago) and we still make them.

Now, don't balk at the high-class, fancy ingredients here...
I'm totally joking...these are about as WT as you can get – white bread, canned asparagus...  But they are SOOOO good and can be made ahead of time (always a plus in my book). I swear this is another one of those recipes that I take somewhere and people say, "Oh, no thanks...I don't like asparagus" and then someone will encourage them to try it (usually a spouse since we're the only ones who will HOUND the other enough to get them to try something – and then they only really eat it to get us to shut up with plans to spit it into their cocktail napkin) and they ALWAYS like it. I've never had anyone spit them out into their cocktail napkin (that I know of).

And there's bacon in them – that's really probably all I needed to write. Bacon.
~Leah

Asparagus Roll-Ups with Bacon

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Leah

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 18 mins

Total time: 48 mins

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• 12 slices white bread


• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp


• 8 slices bacon


• 1 can of asparagus spears, drained


• 1/2 stick of butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. Cook, drain, and crumble the bacon.


3. Stir the bacon into the softened cream cheese until well distributed. Set aside.


4. Trim the crusts from the bread and flatten each slice with a rolling pin (they will get pretty thin and flat).


5. Spread the cream cheese and bacon mixture evenly onto each of the 12 slices of bread.


6. Lay one asparagus spear in the center of each slice of bread, trimming the ends if necessary so that they are even with the top and bottom of the bread.


7. Roll the bread lengthwise so that the asparagus spear runs through the center of the entire roll from end to end.


8. Cut each of the 12 rolls of bread into thirds.


9. Place seam side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet and brush with the melted butter.


10. Bake 12-14 minutes until warmed through then Broil for 2-4 minutes to toast/brown the bread...keep a close watch so you don't burn your bread!


11. Serve warm.

Notes

I like to prepare bacon 1 of 2 ways for crumbling. Either put it in a cold oven on a rack over a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or I like to stack the raw slices and cut them up as small as I can and then cook/brown them in a pan and scoop out with a slotted spoon to drain.


If you're having a hard time mixing the bacon in with the cream cheese, you can try using a hand mixer or microwaving the cream cheese for just a few seconds at a time until you can work with it...you don't want to completely melt it though!


These are great to prepare the day before or to bring to a party and then bake. If you do prepare them beforehand, don't brush them with the melted butter and you will need to store them in the fridge. Take them out for at least a half hour before baking and then brush with the melted butter. Also be aware that your baking time will probably be longer if you're using them from the fridge.

3.1.09

 

Grandma Johnson's Donuts

"Legendary" is the word I would use to best describe these delicious little donuts. After you try them I'm betting the only thing you'll ever need from Dunkin Donuts again is coffee! My amazing Grandma made these donuts for countless family brunches and local parties. Half beinget, half donut hole- they require no yeast (which for me is a blessing because yeast and I never get along), can be mixed up the night before and then dropped into some hot oil when you're ready for them. They take literally 3 minutes to cook. Best served warm, you can roll them in powdered sugar (my favorite) or cinnamon/sugar. They are perfect on Christmas morning when you don't want to spend your time slaving away in the kitchen.



To me, Grandma was Martha Stewart before there was a Martha Stewart. Her garden was unbelievable, her cooking was outstanding, her baking even better. Her house was always perfect with every color in every room matching perfectly. When I smell these donuts cooking, it instantly takes me back to walking into her house on a chilly Sunday morning, Grandma in her apron frying donuts and bacon. Not sure that I need much more than that in my life (Grandma, donuts & bacon that is). My beloved Grandma passed away this past February. Her departure has left a huge hole in our family that we all struggle daily to live with. Hopefully I will get many opportunities to share recipes with you that she shared with me. I look at it as a tribute to her- spreading her little amazing skills and knowledge out to the world, one bite at a time.

~Wendy

Grandma Johnson's Donuts

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 3 mins

Total time: 18 mins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour


• 4 tsp. baking powder


• 1 1/4 tsp. nutmeg


• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 2 eggs


• 1 cup sugar


• 4 tbsp. melted butter


• 1 cup milk


• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl beat together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add melted butter, milk and vanilla, stir until combined. In a separate bowl sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the egg mixture until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.


2. When ready to cook, heat at least 4 inches of peanut or corn oil in a deep-fryer to 400 degrees. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook 6-10 donuts at a time depending on the size of the pot/fryer. They will float to the top as they cook, keep turning them until crispy and brown on the outside. Test the donuts by cutting one open to insure they are cooked through. Drain the donuts on newspaper or a brown paper bag. Let cool slightly and then roll in powdered sugar or a cinnamon/sugar mix.

Notes

If you don't have a deep fryer you can heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot on the stove top- insure there is at least 3 inches of oil in the pot. The oil needs to be as hot as possible to cook the donuts throughout. If the temperature doesn't reach 400 degrees (check with thermometer) cut the donut size down for faster cooking.

3.1.09

 

 

 

Mexican Lasagna

Why blog?

Well, first of all I suppose I could use an outlet.

As the mother of 3 children under the age of 6, I find myself engaged in an ongoing interior monologue. If you are at all familiar with children of this particular age group, you’ll know that their listening abilities can be spotty at best. And if this was your audience from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, you’d resort to a little internalizing too. So bottom line, I've got things to say people!

And about what, you may ask? Well I’m not solving any world problems here, and sometimes I feel as though pregnancy brain has set up permanent residence. But I think I could pretty much talk passionately and (reasonably) intelligently about food at any time of day or night. And it just so happens that in my high-powered role as CEO of this household, food is a HUGE responsibility. 'Cause do you know what these kids do, day-in and day-out, without fail???

Eat.

And heck, let’s throw my husband in the mix since he eats every day too. And, he works (mostly) out of our house which means he also eats lunch at home. But he isn't really a PB&J guy. Or a cereal guy. I guess this would make him an ACTUAL LUNCH guy.

So basically, all day long I’m thinking about food. Planning, shopping, preparing, serving, cleaning up, and negotiating its consumption with the little ones. All so we can get up and start ALL OVER the next day. So what better topic for a blog than food? I’m also one of those people who wants everyone to know when I've eaten something great. As in, “you HAVE to try this!”

For my first post, I’m going back to a family favorite. This Mexican Lasagna appears on the first page of a cookbook my mom made for me as a wedding shower present. As I understand it, the recipe originally comes from my Aunt Patty who got it off a can of those fried onions...the ones usually reserved for green bean casserole. I will describe it with a term I am sure to use again and again throughout this blogging adventure....hot, cheesy goodness. And cottage cheese haters hang in there with me. I too am usually not a fan, but there isn't the weird texture you get with cold cottage cheese. It gets all melty and delicious, and is actually my automatic substitution for anything that calls for ricotta cheese (talk about texture!). Enjoy!

~Erin

Mexican Lasagna

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef (or ground turkey)


• 1 -16 oz. can diced tomatoes


• 1 package taco seasoning


• 1 -2.8 oz. can fried onions


• 1 -24 oz. carton cottage cheese


• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese


• 2 eggs


• 12 flour tortillas

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, brown meat and drain. Add canned tomatoes and taco seasoning. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 can of onions.


2. In a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, 1 c. of cheddar cheese, and eggs.


3. Place 3 tortillas in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Overlap 6 tortillas around sides of dish.


4. Spoon meat mixture evenly in dish and top with remaining 3 tortillas. Spread cheese mixture over tortillas.


5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions and bake for 5 more minutes.

3.1.09

 

Pumpkin Squares

I do not like pumpkin.

There. I said it. Pumpkin milkshakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie spice Pringles (they're a real thing – google it) or any of the insane amount of pumpkin recipes that are everywhere this time of year make me want to run screaming away from Pinterest and the like.

That being said, I LOVE these pumpkin squares. I cannot remember a Thanksgiving without them. Mind you, when I was little I tolerated the pumpkin. I would scrape the pumpkin part off and eat it first in order to save the deliciousness of eating the graham cracker crust all by itself (something I just witnessed my 5-year-old daughter do last week – although she ate most of the square all intact, then flipped it over and pulled off the crust to eat by itself when there was only a little bit left. Flesh of my flesh). I have grown to love every part of these perfect, light, yummy squares of pumpkin goodness and have yet to meet someone (pumpkin lover or pumpkin hater) who doesn't instantly love them too.

~Leah

Pumpkin Squares

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 hours

Total time: 10 hours 15 mins

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs


• 1/3 cup sugar


• 1/2 cup melted butter


• 1 lb. marshmallows


• 1/3 cup milk


• 1 lb. can of pumpkin


• 1/3 cup sugar


• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger


• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon


• 1/4 tsp. salt


• 2 cups whipped topping (Cool Whip)


• whipped topping (Reddi-wip) (optional – although, for me, not an option – a must)

Instructions

1. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a 9x13 pan until well mixed.


2. Add the melted butter and stir again until the crumbs are evenly wet.


3. Pat down to form a crust lining the bottom of the pan.


4. Melt the marshmallows with the milk in a medium to large pot over low heat. (You want to use a large enough pot so that the rest of the ingredients will fit in also.)


5. Remove from heat and add the pumpkin, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.


6. Stir well.


7. Fold in whipped topping.


8. Pour over crust.


9. Chill overnight.


10. Cut into squares and serve cold with whipped topping.

Notes

I usually let it set on the counter, or even better, in the fridge to cool a bit before covering it to set completely in the fridge overnight. If you cover them right away and put them in the fridge, they're going to taste fine, but you will get some condensation on the inside of your lid or foil that can drip onto the squares when you take it off the next day. Technically, you probably don't have to cover it at all in the fridge, but I always get nervous about 1. other flavors seeping in and 2. dropping something on them while rummaging in the fridge.

3.1.09