Tomato Bacon Pasta

Bacon makes everything better, right?? So why wouldn't it make pasta better, too??? 🤔 🙌

An easy pasta dish featuring, you guessed it....BACON! 😋

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 T tomato paste
• 29 oz can tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano, or Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp sugar, optional (more or less for taste)
• 8 oz pasta, cooked per instructions

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO BACON PASTA

1. In a large skillet, cook your bacon over low/medium heat. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain excess fat/oil. Remove bacon grease from pan, minus 1-2 tablespoons.

2. Add your chopped onion to your bacon grease and cook until tender. Add in your minced garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook an additional minute.

3. Pour in your tomato sauce and stir. Add in oregano and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. While sauce is simmering, cook your dry pasta to al dente, per instructions.

5. Add in your pasta and bacon, and toss to combine.

6. Enjoy!

TIPS

-Make this an even easier, and quicker, meal by subbing in a jar of marinara sauce! (just leave out everything but the pasta and bacon 😉)

Blueberry Banana Cream Pie

 This Blueberry Banana Cream Pie has been a staple in our home since I can remember. It's simple, yet delicious and a perfect addition to your holiday baking!!

And, when I say holiday baking.. I mean, the only thing that needs to be baked here is the crust! Need a pie crust recipe? Check out my recipe HERE. It's perfect for this pie!!

WHAT YOU NEED: (recipe makes 2 pies)

• 2 baked pie shells
• 3 bananas, sliced 1/4" slices
• 1 banana, mashed
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup cold milk, divided
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 packet Dream Whip topping mix
• 2 cups blueberry compote (or blueberry pie filling)

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY BANANA CREAM PIE

1. Bake your pie crusts (blind bake) and allow to cool completely. 

2. Take your sliced bananas and line the bottom of the pie shells in a single layer.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream together your cream cheese, 1/4 cup milk and sugar. Once light and creamy, fold in your mashed bananas. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, add in your Dream Whip packet, 1/2 cup milk and vanilla. Beat with mixer on low speed until thoroughly blended. Turn your speed up to high and beat for 4 minutes, or until soft peaks form.

5. Fold your Dream Whip topping into your cream cheese mixture until blended together.

6. Put your cream mixture into your pie shells. Half for each shell. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

7. Top with your blueberry compote, or pie filling. Keep refrigerated.

8. Serve cold.

TIPS:

-you can make blueberry compote easily with fresh or frozen blueberries, but if you are in a hurry, canned pie filling works great!

-substitute in another fruit topping if you have non-blueberry fans (who even are you?!? 😜)

-if you only need one pie, you can freeze the filling! Use half and save the rest in the freezer for another time!

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Tart (Galette)

Besides being just gorgeous 😍 this tart is absolutely amazing! Think pie, but easier. 😉Wanting to mix up the dessert table at Thanksgiving and bring something besides pie, definitely give this a try!!!

Serve warm as is, add a scoop of ice cream, or drizzle with some cream... no matter how you enjoy this tart, it will be delicious!! -- Don't like cranberries, just leave 'em out!!

You see that crust?? Look familiar? It's that same butter pie(pastry) crust I posted not too long ago! It is PERFECT for this! Flakey and flavorful, yet sturdy enough to pick these up and eat them by hand! 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• pastry dough (recipe here)
• 3-4 baking apples (peeled, cored and sliced to about 1/8" thick
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 T butter, melted
• pinch of salt
• warmed apricot jam - optional

(to prepare:)

• 1 T flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 T turbinado sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON APPLE CRANBERRY TART:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Prepare your pastry (instructions HERE). Roll out dough to about 12" then place on your baking pan and place in refrigerator until needed.

3. Add your apples, cranberries, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, butter and salt to large saucepan and cook on medium. Cook until apples are starting to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Remove from heat. With a slotted spoon, remove apples and cranberries from pan. Allow your remaining liquid to cool (it will thicken slightly as it cools.

5. While liquid is cooling, pull your pastry crust out of the oven and roll it out about 2 more inches. Take your 1 T flour and sprinkle it over the rolled out pastry. Place your filling in center, leaving about 2-3 inches on the edges clean. Drizzle your cooled liquid over filling. Fold the excess pastry up over filling, pinching/pressing down as you go around.

6.  With a pastry brush, rub the egg over the crust edge, then sprinkle with your turbinado sugar and cinnamon.

7. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm.

PRO TIP -- drizzle a little warmed apricot jam over top 🤤🤤🤤

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Looking to up your mashed potatoes game for Thanksgiving? Or just looking for a delicious recipe? I've got you! 😉 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 head garlic
• olive oil
• 2 pounds potatoes, red or baking, washed and cut into similar sized pieces
• 4 T butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

1. Preheat your oven to 425° and line baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. Cut the very top of the garlic head off and place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Fold the foil up like a bowl, and drizzle the head of garlic with olive oil.
3. Enclose foil packet around garlic head and place on baking pan.
4. Bake about 35 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and tender. Let cool.
5. Remove garlic cloves and mash with flat side of knife or wooden spoon.
6. Put your potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Salt water and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain in colander.
7. In the same stockpot, melt your butter and heavy cream. Add potatoes and garlic to pot and mash to liking.
8. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.

TIPS

-Don't want to peel your potatoes? Don't. The skin mashes up beautifully here!

-I've used red or russet potatoes in this recipe and they both turned out delicious. So use what you have, or prefer.

-You may need to alter the butter and heavy cream based off of how much potatoes you actually use. So taste and season and add more if needed.

-Don't over mash or whip your potatoes! They will take on a gummy texture and consistency and it's not great here.

Pumpkin Cheesecake S'more Dip

You can basically mix pumpkin into any dish/dessert to make it a "fall recipe" right?!? So, how about upgrading the basic S'more Dip??

This is a great party dip idea if your looking for something fun and sweet to bring! Perfect for Thanksgiving!!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 T pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 T sugar
• 4-5 full size Hershey bars (1.55oz size), broke into pieces
• 25-30 large marshmallows, cut in half
• graham crackers, for dipping

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE S'MORE DIP:

1. In medium size mixing bowl, cream the pumpkin puree and cream cheese together. Add in pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Spread onto bottom of cast iron skillet or baking dish.

2. Top pumpkin cheesecake layer with chocolate, and then top that with marshmallows.

3. Bake at 325° for 15-17 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden brown.

4. Let set for AT LEAST 10-15 minutes. This allows cheesecake to set and chocolate to cool down a little.

5. Serve with graham crackers.

Cranberry Sauce

If you’re not a canned cranberry fan (that’d be me 🙋🏼‍♀️👈🏼) then I’m here for you!! 

Homemade cranberry sauce is one of the easiest Thanksgiving food items to make! Less than 15 minutes and can be made a few days in advance!

WHAT YOU NEED

• 12oz bag of cranberries, picked through (pull out the bruised and bad ones)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup orange juice 
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick plus one pinch ground cinnamon (1/8 tsp)
• 1 - 2-3 inch orange peel strip

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY SAUCE 

1. Add all ingredients to large sauce pan and stir to combine. 

2. Cooking on medium/high heat, bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stirring frequently and breaking down the cranberries.

3. Remove from heat and let cool before covering and refrigerating. It will set up more in the fridge.

Can be made a few days in advance.

TIPS

- Break up your cranberries as you stir. They will pop and open up as they cook, but use your spatula to help them along.

- Taste and alter your spices as needed. Some cranberries can be more tarte than others and you may need more sugar or more cinnamon. 

Butter Pie Crust

Looking for the perfect pie crust?? Flakey, buttery, crispy edges, but soft bite?? Well look no further, I've got you!! 😉

I feel like pie crust/dough is such a terrifying thing to so many, but really, its pretty simple!

WHAT YOU NEED: (makes 1 pie crust)

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small cubes
• 1/2 T sugar
• 4-5 T cold water

HOW TO MAKE BUTTER PIE CRUST

1. In a large bowl, add your flour, salt and sugar. Whisk together until combined.

2. Drop your butter into the bowl, and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture. Continue until your dough is a dry crumbly mixture.

3. Add in your cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, giving it a rough mix with a fork or your hand in between each one. You are done when your dough is pulling into a ball. 

Now you can either wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, a few days (if longer, you can freeze), or proceed to rolling it out.

4. On a floured surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll out your dough to about a 11-12 inch circle, or a few inches larger than your pie plate.

5. Roll halfway onto your rolling pin, then unroll on top of your pie plate. Press down and cut off any excess dough, or fold under the extra for a nice thick end crust.

Now you can either fill with your pie filling, or do a blind bake for cream pies.

Blind Bake Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Fill crust with pie weights and bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove weights and cook for 4-6 more minutes or until color is turning a golden brown.

TIPS

-If you don't own, or want to invest in, pie weights, simply line your pie with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or rice, or even sugar! (granulated sugar)  -OR - take a fork and prick holes all over the crust. Then line with a double layer of aluminum foil. Basically you are helping your crust NOT to spread.

-Have fun with your edges and make them pretty! You worked hard to make your pie dough, might as well finish it off! You can do a simple finger pinch, or use a fork for some line indentions all around. Or if you are feeling extra fancy, google some other fun designs!