Breakfast Pie

On past Thanksgiving vacations, our extended family overestimated the amount of pumpkin pie they should bring. To the extent that we had 3 or 4 extra whole pies! Happily, pumpkin pie is awesome for breakfast. But, beyond the holidays, breakfast prep should be simple. This is a less-sweet-but-delicious, crustless, whip-it-up-it-before-going-to-bed solution.

• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp EACH: ground ginger, cardamom, and salt
• Optional: 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 15 oz can pumpkin puree (about 1.75 cups)
• 1.25 cups milk (swap in some cream for extra richness!)
• 6 Tbsp honey, maple syrup, or a combination

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in spices and pumpkin, then milk and sweetener. Grease a pie pan or 8×8-inch baking dish. Pour in pumpkin mixture, and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with yogurt and granola.

Notes: If you’d like to roast a pumpkin or squash and make your own pumpkin puree, it works best to cut squashes in half, scoop out seeds, roast, scoop out flesh, and blend with the milk. Aim for 3 cups pumpkin/dairy combined total before you add the other ingredients. (Check early when baking – roasted squash has less moisture than canned.)

Also, fresh ginger is a flavor bonus: peel a 2-inch chunk, grate it finely, then press in a fine-mesh strainer to extract the juice. (About 2 tsp.) Use instead of dried ginger.