Protein Filled Pumpkin/White Bean Pie

Some of the best recipes arise out of the need to pinch hit in the kitchen. By "pinch hit," I am referring to when you need to substitute one ingredient for another. This pie is a perfect example. I was short on frozen pumpkin by about 1/2 cup so I thought about what other ingredients I had that would take on the flavor and texture I wanted. "Aha," I thought, as I opened the freezer, - "white bean puree!" It was as delicious as ever and no one even noticed I added all that protein and fiber.

Begin by rolling out your pie crust. I happened to have one in the freezer - it made a quick dessert to prepare! My family loves just about anything made from pumpkin. For my favorite pie crust recipe, click here. For pictures of how I roll it out, click here. Place the prepared pie crust in the fridge to keep it cold while you mix up the filling. A cold pie crust will cook up more flaky which is what everyone loves!

Whisk all the filling ingredients together.

Prepare a piece of foil to place around the edge of the pie, covering the crust so it won't burn while the filling cooks. Fold a square piece of foil in half and cut as pictured above.

Open it flat.

Place a baking sheet on your oven rack to catch any spills. Place your prepared pie crust on the baking sheet. Pour your filling into the crust.

Carefully cover the edges - it doesn't need to be tightly crimped down. Just shape it enough that it will stay on while you slide the pie in and out of the oven.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil.

Bake an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the pie to cool before serving.

Pumpkin/White Bean Pie

Prepared pie crust

1 1/2 cups pumpkin or squash puree (canned or frozen)

1/2 cup white bean puree

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 eggs, slightly beaten

6 Tbsp dry milk powder

2/3 cup hot tap water

Whisk together the hot water and milk powder until no lumps remain. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well. Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover the edges of the crust with foil for the first 25 minutes of baking to prevent over browning.