Butternut Squash Pie

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! We had a great dinner at my husband's parents' house on Thanksgiving. Because I won a free turkey from the grocery store, I will be cooking my Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. It will be my first time ever to cook Thanksgiving dinner and I have been planning all week for it. There are several dishes you can make ahead to save time on the big day. I made a pie, cranberry sauce and glazed carrots. Mashed potatoes would be fine to make ahead, too. Just reheat them in a double boiler and add a little milk and viola! Tomorrow, I will make the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn and twice-baked sweet potatoes.

So, about the pie. If you are unable to find a sugar pumpkin to make your pumpkin pie from scratch, butternut squash tastes a lot like pumpkin, so use it instead! I promise that your guests will not know the difference. YUM!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 3/4 c white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, plus a little more for sprinkling on top
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 pie crust

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Pierce the squash with a knife several times all over. Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake until you can easily pierce it with a knife, about 1 hour depending on size.
• Remove the seeds. You should definitely roast the seeds for a nice snack - click here for my recipe.
• Scoop out 2 cups of the pulp and blend in a food processor, until smooth.
• Add the evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, ground cinnamon and nutmeg and blend until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Sprinkle more cinnamon on the top, to taste.

• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until nearly set. Be sure to cover the crust edges with tin foil after about 15 to 20 minutes to prevent the crust from burning.
• Allow it to cool.
• Serve with whipped topping and enjoy!