Not your ordinary pumpkin pie

If you're like me, you have a set menu for Thanksgiving and very seldom change it.

I make the same vegetables (corn, butter beans, field peas and mashed potatoes), the same sweet potato casserole and the same cranberry congealed salad that mama always made for us. We also must have crescent rolls at my son's request. I've experimented with dressing the last several years but have settled on a favorite recipe, although my children still want me to also make Stove Top stuffing for them. I do it because that means Reggie and I get more leftovers of the homemade stuff.

I also make pumpkin pie for dessert. It's a simple recipe from the pumpkin can. Nothing hard about it. My family loves it with whipped cream on top. We've actually eaten it for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. We're stuffed after supper, so why not enjoy it while we're hungry? In other words, we love this pie.

So why change things? Well, why not? I've always wanted to put a different spin on my pumpkin pie, so over the weekend, I experimented with Pillsbury's very simple Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie. I basically followed the recipe, except I divided the topping between the bottom of the pie and the top, and I used a graham cracker crust instead of a traditional pie crust.

The pie is delicious. The nutty topping and the graham cracker crust add a delicious twist to the pie. The topping is also very pretty, and makes you think a pecan pie is underneath!

If you're up to something new on your menu next week, (something different but not radical!) give this pie a try.

Check back next week for some ideas on what to do with your turkey leftovers.


Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust (can probably fill the two-extra serving size because I had extra with the regular size)

Filling:
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (no pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Streusel:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
In large bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Pour into pie crust.
Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix streusel ingredients.
Sprinkle streusel over pumpkin filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Adapted from Pillsbury