Pumpkin Breakfast Bake

There is something so totally satisfying about the scent of baking pumpkin filling your kitchen during this time of year.  Don't be intimidated by the idea of bypassing the canned pumpkin for the fresh REAL ones.  Other than their hard skin (we used a meat cleaver to hammer the butcher knife into the pumpkin for the first cut - to keep your cutting board from slipping, place it on a kitchen towel), they cook as easily as any squash.  Pumpkins are a great source of vitamin A and other immune-boosting nutrients especially beneficial this time of year.  The cinnamon in the Breakfast Bake helps to control blood-sugar levels, keeping you feeling satisfied all morning long.  Give it a try!

Pumpkin Baking directions:

• Preheat oven to 450
• Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds
• Place pumpkin, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish and fill with about 1/2 inch of water
• Place in oven
• Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake for about 40 - 60 minutes
• Remove from oven and allow to cool before scooping out meat

(Since baking the pumpkin is primarily a matter of remembering to remove it from the oven when it's done, try baking the pumpkin while you are fixing or eating dinner one night, store in the refrigerator overnight and make your pie or the yummy breakfast bake the next day!)

Pumpkin Breakfast Bake 

(also makes a great pudding)

Ingredients:

meat of one medium-sized pumpkin

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cups almond milk (rice milk or regular milk would work)

1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup or brown rice syrup

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Place all ingredients into blender or deep mixing bowl, blend to completely combine
• Pour into lightly oiled baking pan (I used a 7" round casserole dish)
• Reduce heat and bake at 375 for 45 minutes (or until surface begins to crack and is firm to the touch)
• Serve topped with toasted nuts (my favorite combination is walnuts, pecans, cashews and pepitas)

Since this is so easy to assemble, try baking it while you are making dinner, store overnight in the refrigerator and surprise everyone with a hearty fall breakfast the next morning!  Can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days and single servings reheated in the microwave.