Pumpkin Pie Alternative Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

Oh how I love a good pumpkin pie. I always use the recipe from the back of the Libby Pumpkin can. Super easy to make and oh-so-good. Some of my family members don't like pie.

Hmmmm..... really?

Yes, it's true. Some people don't like pie.

Well, some years ago, I was watching Paula Deen and she made the yummiest looking dessert, pumpkin gooey butter cake. Ohmy.... it looked so good, I had to make it. My family may not all love pumpkin pie, but they are in luv with this pumpkin dessert. This might sound like a complicated recipe, because it is in layers, but it is really easy to put together.

Ingredients

• Cake: 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix


• 1 egg


• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened1 (15-ounce) can


• pumpkin


• 3 eggs


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 8 tablespoons butter, melted


• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar


• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

Chicken Spaghetti

I love how a sent, a photo, or a good meal can trigger a memory and take us back to a special place or time. Well here is a recipe that takes me back to a special time.

We were on vacation 10 years ago when my cousin prepared chicken spaghetti for us. We had a wonderful family meal sitting around their kitchen table in their old farm house.

I've been making it a couple times a month ever since that vacation. Super easy and it seems like everyone loves it. I always get requests for this recipe when I take it to the church potluck.

Chicken Spaghetti  

• 12 oz cooked / drained pasta
• 2 cups cooked / diced chicken (or shredded or chopped)
• 1 can rotel tomatoes
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (you can use cream of mushroom)
• 8 oz velveeta cheese cut into cubes

Lightly spray a 9x13" pan with Pam cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together, dump into the prepared 9x13 and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is all melty and yummy. If the pasta is hot, it only takes a few minutes.

You can use mild or regular rotel. There have been times I don't have rotel tomatoes on hand. There are options! Saute' some onions, green peppers, celery until soft, then add a can of diced tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes you dice yourself.  If you don't have spaghetti on hand, any pasta will do. I have made this with penne and it was delish!

Sometimes I sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top and heat until it is melted.

For crowds, it is easy to double or triple the recipe.

One more note. If I use fresh tomatoes, I peel them first. Simple... I use a large slotted spoon to dip them into boiling water for a few seconds. Cool for a minute in a colander, then the peel slips right off.

Comfort Food Ham and Potato Casserole

This old recipe is a family favorite. It is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holiday dinner.

Ingredients:
4 lbs Ore-Ida® cubed potatoes O'Brien (2 32 oz packages)
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (from the bottle - not the dry powder)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Johnny's season salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5-6 green onions chopped
1 1/2 cup white onion chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or colby jack
4 cups chopped cooked ham

Directions:

• Butter the inside of your slow cooker.
• First dump one bag of potatoes out of the plastic bag into a microwave safe dish. Microwave each bag of the potatoes for 5 minutes
• Then dump in the mayonnaise and sour cream.
• Sprinkle the seasonings over the sour cream and mayonnaise and mix together very well.
• Stir in the green onions and the chopped white onion.
• Add the potatoes and ham and mix everything together very well.
• Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours or cook on low 8 hours.
• A few minutes before you serve dinner, stir in the cheddar cheese.

Options: Bake in a buttered casserole dish. 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes - just until it's hot. Be sure to pre-heat the potatoes, just as you do for the slow cooker.

You can make this casserole the day before and refrigerate.

Johnny's seasoning salt is widely available in the Pacific Northwest. If it's not available in your area, it is available through the website: Johnny's Seasoning, Sam's Club, Costco, Amazon.com, and you can even purchase it on ebay. If you must, you can substitute Lawry's or another seasoning salt.

By the way, Johnny's garlic spread is the best! I use it to season my wood smoke grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and linguine primavera. Sometimes I even use it for my garlic bread!