Well here we are, one day to go before the Super Bowl of cooking days!  Can you believe it’s already here?  And it will go as quickly as it came.  Leaving us to do this all over again in just a few short weeks for Christmas.

When we were growing up, one of our many Thanksgiving family traditions was cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  My mom would wake up much earlier than the rest of us (although I am sure she never went to sleep, as she was up all night prepping for the next day), and make, from scratch, the most scrumptious cinnamon rolls.  When the smell of those buttery, rich rolls made their way through the house and straight to our noses, still lazy on the pillow, we couldn’t get up fast enough.  So this year, I took a spin on that favored tradition, and tried a Pumpkin Cinnamon Role Casserole.

Now, I had seen various versions of this recipe done on cooking shows and online, but most required the preservative packed Pillsbury brand of rolls.  And if you haven’t figured it out already, that’s not my style.  I try my best to keep those out of my day to day cooking, but every now and then they creep in in the form of Oreo’s or Skinny Cow Ice Cream.  Hey, I’m not perfect!  So imagine my delight when I discovered that Annie’s makes their own organic version of those gooey treats in a pop can.  I was thrilled!  They are a bit pricier than their Doughboy cousin, but are so worth it.  The flavor is richer, and you don’t have the guilt of putting something into your body that you can’t even pronounce.  Thank you Annie’s!!! So when mixed with a little bit of pumpkin, you cannot go wrong! It is a breakfast casserole fit for fall. Best of all, this recipe can be made a day beforehand and stored in the refrigerator.  Just pop the dish in the oven whenever you are ready, and wait for it to bake up fresh for breakfast.  Although nothing compares to Mom’s cinnamon rolls, these will still be sure to please.

Before I finish this article up, I just want to take a moment for another Thanksgiving tradition, highlighting the things I am most thankful for.  I have a roof over my head, food on my table, a job to wake up and go to each day, and to live in a country that allows me freedoms most others in our world are not afforded. I am also so very blessed to be surrounded each day with the love of wonderful friends and family.  More importantly, that they are all in good health! So on that note, Happy Thanksgiving Cupboard Followers!  I hope you enjoy the day celebrating all the things you are thankful for, big or small.

Happy tastings,

Lauren

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Casserole

Ingredients

• Three 5-count Annie’s refrigerated cinnamon roll dough, with icing
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup organic Milk, 2%
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
• 1/4 cup granulated Sugar
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• confectioner’s sugar frosting (recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9×9-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Cut each cinnamon roll into 9 smaller pieces.
3. Scatter in prepared pan, separating the pieces from one another because they stick together if you slice them in stacks; set pan and the icing from the packaging aside.
4. To a medium bowl, add the eggs, pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and whisk until smooth.
5. Evenly pour the mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces.
6. Evenly drizzle the icing. If the icing is cold, warm on the stove for about a minute and it will make drizzling easier.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes to an hour (depending on your oven), or until the top is set in the center and lightly golden brown.
8. In a medium bowl, mix ingredients for the icing (recipe below).
9. Evenly pour atop of casserole. Serve immediately, while still warm..

Confectioner’s Sugar Icing

Ingredients

• 2 cup Confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tbsp Cream or milk (or more if needed)
• 2 tspn vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix all three ingredients together, until fully incorporated.
2. Add more milk if thinner consistency is preferred.