Thanksgiving Pies

It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, right? I’ve tried several different versions and found they’re all good—and good for you. While on vacation in the South, however, it seems people have sweet potato pie more often than pumpkin.


Pumpkins, sweet potatoes (also called yams) and winter squash are very similar vegetables. They contain a lot of vitamin A (beta carotene) which is known to help prevent certain cancers, especially of the lung; they are loaded with antioxidants and fiber and—the bonus—they are low in fat and calories. Oh yes, they are versatile and yummy. You can make savory side dishes, desserts, soups, baked goods, appetizers—the list goes on. In spite of knowing all this, I have only made pie with pumpkin, so I decided this year we would give sweet potato pie a try and feature both for the pie(s)-of-the-month.

Paula Deen, the queen of southern cooking, seemed like a logical resource. If you’ve ever watched her show on the Food Network, you already know she makes sinfully rich and delicious foods. Thanksgiving, the feast of feasts, seems the perfect time to try her version of Sweet Potato pie. It was everything I imagined and more—rich, creamy, smooth and delicious. Even so, the calorie total for one tenth of a 9-inch deep dish pie was 355 calories, high but not over the top.

Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups mashed fresh or canned sweet potatoes (see note below)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup half-and-half
4 Tbsp. butter (1/2 stick), melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 9-inch Deep-Dish Pie Shell (see note below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sweet potatoes and cream cheese with mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and half-and-half; beat 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves, scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add butter, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon, and beat until blended. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake 1 hour or until filling is puffed and set around edge but center jiggles slightly. Cool completely on wire rack.

Note 1. For mashed fresh sweet potatoes, pierce 2 pounds sweet potatoes with tip of knife. Place in microwave-safe bowl and cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on High 11 to 15 minutes or until very tender, turning potatoes once halfway through cooking. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat potatoes until smooth. Measure 2 cups potatoes for pie; reserve remaining for another use.

Note 2. 9-Inch Deep-Dish Pie Shell

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. cold butter, cut up
¼ cup trans-fat free vegetable shortening
4 to 5 Tbsp. ice water

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender (or 2 knives used scissors-fashion), cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water, mixing lightly with fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape dough into disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight. (If chilled overnight, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.) On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 14-inch round. Ease dough round into 9 ½ inch deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate. Gently press dough against bottom and up side of plate without stretching. Trim dough edge, leaving 1-in. overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch to form decorative edge. Freeze pie shell at least 15 minutes or up to 1 month before filling.

If you want to try a new pumpkin pie, here is one that grabbed my attention. This pie combines the soft, smooth filling of pumpkin with the nutty, slightly salty topping of nuts, reminiscent of a pecan pie.

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie

1/2 cup pecan pieces
¼ cup (packed) brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in food processor for topping. Using on/off turns, blend to fine crumbs. Set aside.

Pastry for 1-crust 9-inch pie

Line 9-inch pie plate with crust. Fold edges under and flute. Freeze crust 15 minutes.

Bake empty crust (use weights or dried beans) for 20 minutes at 350 degrees; remove weights or beans and bake for about 15 minutes more or until brown around edges. Cool.

1 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup canned, pureed pumpkin
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, salt, and spices. Add pumpkin and cream and whisk until smooth. Pour filling into crust. Cover crust with foil on edges and place on large baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven. Sprinkle topping evenly over top of pie. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees; continue to bake until set and slightly puffed in center, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.