Banana Pudding Pie

So I didn't really do 'Pie of the Month' this year, but I did end up making this pie in March.  It is rich and creamy, and tastes just like banana pudding in pie form.  What more could you ask for?!

INGREDIENTS:

•                1 Nilla wafer prepared pie crust

•                1- 5.1oz box instant vanilla pudding mix

•                1 1/2 cups cold milk

•                1- 8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed to room temp, divided

•                2 medium/large bananas, sliced

•                1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

•                2 ½-3 cups coarsely chopped Nilla Wafers, divided

•                caramel or salted caramel sauce for drizzling,

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. In a large bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk.
3. Fold in half the whipped topping.
4. In a separate bowl, slice the bananas, drizzle with lemon juice; toss to coat (to prevent the bananas from turning brown).
5. Fold bananas and about 1 1/2 heaping cups Nilla wafers into pudding mixture.
6. Turn mixture out into pie crust.
7. Gently spread remaining whipped topping onto top of pie
8. Sprinkle remaining Nilla wafers, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until set.
9. Prior to serving, drizzle with caramel sauce to taste.

Enjoy!

Last Pie of the Month Post for 2014 ~ Butterscotch Pecan Pie

This wasn't really what I was expecting, but it was really good!  Being a Classic Pecan Pie kind of girl, I was expecting something I guess closer to that, but this was a lighter, creamier version of a pecan pie with meringue!  Yum.  Definitely a "make again"!


Butterscotch Pecan Pie

Ingredients
makes 1 9-inch pie

Filling:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked

Topping:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
3/8 cup white sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1.     In the top of a double boiler, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon. salt. Stir in milk and corn syrup. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, 20 minutes or until thickened.

2.     In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually stir 1/2 cup of hot mixture into yolks. Pour back into remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook 5 minutes over boiling water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in butter, vanilla and 3/4 cup pecans. Pour into pastry shell. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)

3.     Beat egg whites cream of tartar, and pinch of salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over filling, sealing to edge of pastry. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans.

4.     Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool to room temperature. Chill thoroughly.

I'm actually kind of sad to see the year end...I love pie!  Don't rule out a 2nd year of pie, feel free to send me suggested flavors even!

xoxo

Chilis Rellenos Pie ~ December

This had a pretty good flavor, but I think I would actually use a pie crust on the bottom next time, and probably use more then 5 peppers.  It didn't really cover the bottom of the pie plate and it came out more like a casserole than a "pie" because the peppers didn't really hold it together.  It would be good with a flaky crust.


Chilis Rellenos Pie

Chilis Rellenos Pie

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 8 servings

5 fresh poblano chile peppers

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 cups mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

2 cups salsa (I used Rotel instead, both would be good)

Directions

1.     Preheat oven on broiler setting. Roast chiles under broiler on cookie sheet until skin is brown and charred on all sides. Cool until you are able to touch peppers, then peel off skin. Make a slit down one side of the pepper, and remove stem and seeds. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.     Line the bottom of baking dish with chiles. Layer Monterey Jack cheese and Cheddar cheese evenly over chilies. Spread cooked chicken over cheese.

3.     In a medium bowl, using a wire whisk, mix flour with a small amount of evaporated milk until it forms a smooth paste, then whisk in remaining milk and sour cream. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour evenly over chicken.

4.     Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until center of pie becomes firm. Spread salsa over top, and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

 

Apple Cranberry Walnut Pie ~ November

This is a great fall harvest type pie.  It was full of flavor and fruity, nutty goodness.

Of course I didn't exactly measure all my fruits according to the original recipe, just dumped them in there, so I've adapted it for you here according to how I made it.  

It makes a really deep, thick slice of pie so cut skinny....or not!

Apple Cranberry Walnut Pie 

Apple Cranberry Walnut Pie

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 – deep 10 inch pie

1 cup fresh cranberries

2/3 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground allspice (I didn’t have allspice so I used ¼ tsp each of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon)

2 1/4 lbs apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used 3 each of granny smith and gala apples)

1 1/2 tablespoons brandy (I didn’t have brandy and substituted wine I had in the fridge)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 sleeves prepared refrigerator pie crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.

In a medium bowl, toss together the cranberries, walnuts, sugar, flour and allspice. Mix in the apples, brandy and vanilla. Place bottom crust into pie pan so that it hangs over the edges. Pour filling into the crust and cover with top crust. Seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top using a small knife.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until apples are tender and crust is golden.

Spaghetti Pie - October

Oops I posted out of order,  I forgot to post October's Dinner Pie of the Month! It was Spaghetti Pie.  The crust was actually made of spaghetti and the rest was layered on top.  The kids were all here for dinner and anyone could have leftovers (before it ran out), and we DID!

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 6 servings

6 oz spaghetti (I used Angel Hair)

2 eggs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cup cottage cheese

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb lean ground beef

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

1 tsp white sugar

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

I also added (to taste):

onion powder

basil

Italian seasoning

sage

              Optional

1 onion, chopped 

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

Directions

1.     Cook spaghetti in water with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon oil until tender but still firm. Drain. Add eggs, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Mix and shape into a crust in a greased 10-inch pie plate or springform pan.

2.     Spread cottage cheese over crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3.     Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the beef and garlic (and option veggies) until beef is thoroughly browned. Mix in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and seasonings.  Spread mixture over cottage cheese.

4.     Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

5.     Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (I probably used extra) and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Tuscan Pot Pie - November

This sounded good but I wasn't sure if the kids would like it, so I made it on a night when none of them were home.  It came together in one pan, and with only a top crust and I even baked it in the skillet!

It was almost like eating an upside-down pizza.  We decided it was definitely a "make again" but next time I think I'll actually put it in a pie plate and use a bottom crust also.

I didn't let it cool quite long enough to set, we were really hungry!!  I made a colorful salad to go with, but then we'd wished we'd had some crusty garlic great on the side also.

Tuscan Pot Pie

Savory ~ Tuscan Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. sweet or hot ground Italian sausage (we like spicy) 

1  jar chunky mushroom spaghetti sauce

1  can (19 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

½  teaspoon dried thyme

1‑1/2  cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1  pkg refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

PREPARATION:

1.     Preheat oven to 425°F. Brown sausage in medium ovenproof skillet, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat.

2.     Add spaghetti sauce, beans and thyme to skillet. Simmer uncovered over medium heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

3.     Unroll crescent dough; divide into triangles. Arrange in spiral with points of dough toward center, covering sausage mixture completely. Bake 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and meat mixture is bubbly.

Tuscan Pot Pie

Coconut Cream Pie - October

I think Coconut Cream Pie from scratch is still my all time favorite pie!  I always thought it was so difficult, but this one was actually pretty easy to make, although a bit time consuming.  It was so smooth and rich, my mouth is watering all over again just typing about it!

This was October's dessert Pie of the Month, and it did not disappoint!  No leftovers...

Coconut Cream Pie    

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 9-inch pie

1 (9 inch) baked pie crust

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.     Stir half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan; stirring constantly, slowly bring to a boil over low heat and cook until thick, about 30 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; fold 3/4 cup coconut into the mixture with the vanilla extract. Pour the coconut mixture into the baked pie crust.

3.     Beat egg whites in a glass or metal bowl until foamy. Gradually add cream of tartar and 6 tablespoons white sugar, continuing to beat until soft peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites will form soft mounds rather than a sharp peak. Spread egg white mixture over the pie. Sprinkle 1/2 cup coconut over the pie.

4.     Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool until completely cooled to the touch, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Dang...now I wanna go make another one for tonight! 

Chicken Pot Pie

An old favorite for dinner this month.  Never any leftovers!

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (again I used a refrigerated crust and it worked fine)

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 9 inch pie dish with pastry.

2.     Blanch frozen mixed vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.

3.     Dice chicken and place in a large bowl. Add vegetables, thyme, celery soup and potato soup. Stir together.

4.     Pour filling into pastry lined pie dish. Arrange top layer of pie crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow for steam to escape.

5.     Place pie on cookie sheet. Put aluminum foil around the pie crust edges. Bake at 400* F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes and then serve.