Jalapeno Poppers, The Appetizer

Ingredients

3 jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and halved lengthwise

4 ounce cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 strips bacon, cut in half

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and mozzarella.

3) Spoon filling into jalapeno halves. Wrap each half with bacon and place on baking sheet. If necessary, secure bacon with a toothpick.

4) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bacon is fully cooked. Serve and enjoy!

Zucchini Lasagna, The Main Course

Ingredients

1/3 pound ground beef

2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

7 ounces diced tomatoes

7 ounces tomato sauce

1/3 cup diced artichoke hearts

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil, plus more for topping

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions

1) Salt thinly sliced zucchini and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. This will drain excess moisture.

2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a bread loaf with cooking spray.

3) Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain and set aside.

4) To the same pan, add olive oil and onions. Cook for 3 minutes, or until onions soften. Stir in garlic and cook for a few seconds.

5) Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, basil and ground beef. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

6) In a bowl, mix together ricotta and Parmesan cheese.

7) Start layering your lasagna! Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the bread pan. Top with zucchini slices, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella. Layer again, meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta and mozzarella. Top with remaining sauce, zucchini and a final layer of cheese. Sprinkle with basil.

8) Bake for 45 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Mini​ ​Strawberry​ ​Pudding​ ​Pies, The Dessert

Ingredients

2 mini graham cracker pie shells

1 (3.4-ounces) box instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups cold milk

4 tablespoons strawberry jam

1/2 cup Cool Whip

Red food coloring (optional)

Sliced strawberries, for garnish

Directions

1) Whisk together pudding mix and cold milk until thick.

2) Gently fold in strawberry jam and Cool Whip. Add a few drops of red food coloring to give the pudding a pink hue.

3) Fill pie shells with pudding mixture and top with sliced strawberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve and enjoy!

*Note: If you have filling leftover, fill more mini pie shells, or pop in the fridge and enjoy on its own later!*

Tags: courses, date night, dinner, jalapeno, Jalapeno Poppers, lasagna, pie, Pudding Pie, recipes, zucchini

By now, you’ve attended plenty of Thanksgiving dinners, and the selection of pies has probably varied little between pumpkin, apple and pecan.

But since it’s 2017, and freshness is needed, it’s time for a change-up. Here are 10 autumnal pies that combine traditional seasonal flavors with wonderfully unexpected twists. Happy baking!

1. Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

This spectacularly messy take on apple pie combines three decadent textures: a soft and sweet crust made of refrigerated cinnamon rolls, a tender apple filling and a buttery, crumbly brown sugar topping. Take it to the next level with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle.

2. Pear Butterscotch Vanilla Pie

Forget caramel apples — butterscotch pears are where it’s at this time around. Thinly sliced pears, sweetened with sugar and vanilla bean, are drizzled with a homemade butterscotch sauce and blanketed with an all-butter pie crust. It all sounds very peaceful, until you realize the whole house will go to battle over the last slice.

3. Cranberry Orange Custard Pie

This pie looks like a treat you’d see on “The Great British Baking Show,” but it comes together with a pre-made pie shell and fewer than 10 ingredients. The way the tart cranberries mingle with the sweet custard filling will make your heart sing. 

4. Apple Butter Pie

If you prefer your apple pies on the smoother side, this is the chunk-free dessert for you. It combines the taste of cinnamony fruit with the texture of pumpkin pie.

5. Brown Sugar Rum Raisin Pie

Deep flavors and rich textures are the name of the game in this appropriately autumnal pie. The spiced rum raisin filling is even thickened with a surprising ingredient: Greek yogurt. A perfect dollop of whipped cream on top doesn’t hurt, either.

6. Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Pie and cake combine their mighty forces in this delightfully gluttonous dessert: a magnificent monstrosity of vanilla wafer crust, velvety pecan and dense cheesecake fillings, sticky dulce de leche drizzle and crispy candied pecans. Sincerest apologies for triggering all of your cravings at once.

7. Fresh Fig Pie

This fuss-free, relatively healthy pie is perfect for the fig lover in your family. The fragrant fruit is brightened simply with ginger and lemon and uses just a skosh of butter and sugar, since, you know, it is still a fun dessert.

8. Chocolate Pie

It doesn’t involve pumpkin, apple or even cinnamon, but no guest in their right mind would be upset about eating this after a turkey dinner. You’ll be tempted to eat the chocolate pudding filling with a spoon as soon as it’s ready, but if you exercise a bit of discipline and allow it to set and cool in a store-bought crust, you won’t be sorry.

9. Gooey Butter Pie

Words like gooey, butter and pie hardly need justification, but here’s another tidbit: The custard filling and flaky crust make the perfect canvas for whipped cream, fruits, nuts, caramel sauce or just an eager fork. 

10. Amaretti Pumpkin Pie

Because no Thanksgiving pie list would be complete without some variation on classic pumpkin, here is a twist that will blow your mind with its complexity of flavor and simplicity in execution: a crumbly crust of amaretti cookies. Their deep almond flavor adds a layer of deliciousness that you never new pumpkin pie needed.

Featured image credit: Student150/Wikimedia Commons

Tags: Apple pie, dessert, pie, recipes, thanksgiving