Creamy Pumpkin Pie

While I'm not a huge fan of traditional pumpkin pie, the walnut streusel topping on this pie make it a big hit at our house.  The pumpkin filling is also deliciously light- with an almost mousse-like texture.  Use your own pie crust recipe, or use my favorite recipe here.

Tator Tot Casserole

This is a recipe I brought from my mom, and was frequently my chosen birthday dinner.  Now my daughters love it as well.  It's so simple to make that it's become a staple in our home.  And it's an easy recipe to create variations on by simply adding a few different ingredients or switching up the cheese for a new variety.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

I am not regularly a fan of pumpkin (other than in bread/cookies), but I made this recipe when we had some friends over, and I found myself sneaking back to the container in the fridge on a regular basis.  I think it was because of the cake-like texture of the crust, and the fact that the pumpkin layer wasn't thick enough to be overpowering.  It was the perfect combination of spice cake, cinnamon and pumpkin.

Teriyaki Steak and Snap Peas

The secret to this dish is to cook the meat and the snap peas quickly at a high heat.  The meat remains nice and tender in the middle, and the snap peas get a nice crisp texture.  The teriyaki sauce is nicely accented by a light dusting of sesame seeds.

Best Pie Crust

This is my favorite pie crust recipe, because it is so easy (only 4 ingredients!) and turns out great every time.  We love eating it as a pie, or just brushing on some butter and sprinkling it with cinnamon and sugar before baking it.

Beef Stroganoff

While beef stroganoff is an easy recipe that I typically save for the end of the month when we're about to the end of our food budget, I am always surprised by how much my family enjoys this dish.  It disappears quickly both from our plates and from the refrigerator.

Cowboy Casserole

I found this recipe on pinterest and was interested in the name (John Wayne Casserole).  In reading through comments regarding the casserole, I was interested to learn about the original John Wayne Casserole, which was submitted by John Wayne to a recipe book for charity, and apparently is nothing like this quite delicious dish.  So I have re-named it "Cowboy Casserole", which I believe suits the fact that it is a nice hearty casserole, with plenty of vegetables, dairy, meat and carbs to keep those cowboys full of energy for a hard day's work.