Pumpkins . . . Sweet, Sweet Pumpkins

For whatever reason, I love pumpkins.  On Friday, we drove all the way to Fruita to visit the Jouflas pumpkin patch and corn maze.  We spent $30 on pumpkins and so far I've cooked 1 1/2 of them.  This morning I made pumpkin currant muffins.  For afternoon snack, we had mac and cheese with a  bit of pumpkin puree snuck in there with pumpkin smoothies.  Sick of pumpkin yet?  For dinner I made pumpkin mushroom lasagna.  Pumpkins are considered a super food so they're just insanely good for you.  Here is my favorite lasagna recipe for your eating pleasure (shout out to all my foodies out there!)

Pumpkin smoothies:  Vanilla or Maple Brown Cow yogurt with pureed pumpkin, sprinkle in some cinnamon, top with whipped creme and watch as your children eat only the whipped creme!

Pumpkin Mushroom Lasagna:  I've made this so many times that I know it by heart:  

Saute 4 cups finely chopped onion for about 5 minutes

Add 6 cups finely shopped mushrooms (nobody ever said lasagna was cheap.)  Saute

Add 2 TBSP dried sage (the sage makes it . . . it will be your  new favorite spice.)

1/2 tsp salt

1 Cup chicken broth

Set aside

Mix together (this is my altered version because the recipe calls for ingredients that I can't find:)

29 oz can of pumpkin or 3 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin

1 tub of ricotta

Almost 1 tub of cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/2 c grated Parmesan or Romano  

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Key:  RICE PASTA LASAGNA NOODLES!  You don't have to pre-cook them!!!  Just throw them in the pan.

Additional Romano/Parmesan for sprinkling on top and/or in between layers.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of the broth from the mushroom mixture into the bottom of your lasagna dish.  Lay down noodles, then smear on pumpkin/cheese mixture, then scoop on mushroom mixture.  Repeat.  Finish with noodles and then mushroom mixture on top.  Top with Parmesan and/or Romano cheese.  Cook covered at 375 for 50 minutes, uncover for 10 minutes.  Yummy!