Smells like Thanksgiving!

Tonight I made this:

Pumpkin pie (note this is not mine...if you're lucky I"ll post one when it's done!)

And this:

Pumpkin lasagna (also not the actual one...probably won't be nearly this pretty)

I'm so excited to try them both. Here's hoping they turn out! It's been a relaxing weekend around here. Thanksgiving was at a co-worker's house. We brought stuffing, which turned out alright. I also brought pumpkin bread, which was a much bigger hit (it was probably the 3 cups of sugar and the cup of oil...). The rest of the weekend has been full of relaxation, doc review, shopping, and cooking. All in all a good one. Christmas carols are on in the background to get in the mood. Only thing better would be if we had been able to be with family!

Back to pumpkin night--I made the lasagna for the office potluck tomorrow. The pie is just because.

I used the recipe on the can of pumpkin for the pie. Here is the recipe for pumpkin lasagna, courtesy of the master chef of the Lux family, John:

Pumpkin lasagna

By Wolfgang Puck, Chicago Tribune, Oct. 27, 2004. Originally called Three-cheese pumpkin lasagna

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 8 servings

9 to 12 dried lasagna noodles (No-boil noodles work fine)

Bechamel sauce:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons fresh creamy goat cheese or mascarpone

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly grated nutmeg

Filling:

1 can (29 ounces) pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon each, thyme, sage

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup each: panko (Japanese) bread crumbs, mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup each: freshly grated Parmesan cheese, brown sugar

2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese

1 tablespoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

For assembly:

1/2 cup each: bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese

1. If using dried noodles, heat a large stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil; fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Boil the noodles until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. Transfer to the ice water. Drain the noodles; arrange in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; sprinkle in the flour, stirring continuously with a wire whisk. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Whisk in the milk; whisk in the goat cheese, salt and pinch of nutmeg. Heat to a simmer; cook, whisking often, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

3. For the filling, combine pumpkin puree, thyme, sage, nutmeg, bread crumbs, mascarpone, Parmesan, brown sugar, goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste in a large mixing bowl.

4. Heat oven to 400 degrees. To assemble lasagna, spread a third of the pumpkin mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, placed lengthwise side by side, overlapping the edges. Spread another third of the filling over the noodles; top with 3/4 cup of the bechamel. Top with another layer of noodles, the remaining filling, and another 3/4 cup of bechamel. Cover with a final layer of noodles and the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray; place it sprayed-side down over the lasagna pan, folding the edges over.

5. Bake until heated through and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Remove the foil; bake until the topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; cool 10 minutes. Cut into rectangles or squares.

Enjoy!