This post is sponsored in conjunction with #PumpkinWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #PumpkinWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Noodle kugel is a common dish during the later winter holidays in my family, but I made a fall version by adding pumpkin!

My godmother’s sister-in-law is known for her noodle kugel, which she brings over every year for Christmas Eve dinner. I asked her for the recipe a few years back and had the brilliant idea to make a pumpkin version for fall, but the years came and went and I kept forgetting to make it. So to kick off #PumpkinWeek I made sure it was the first thing I made!

If you’ve never had noodle kugel it’s a traditional Jewish dish that resembles custard but with egg noodles mixed in. I realize that may sound texturally strange (as Bob would agree, having had it for the first time when I made this), but I don’t really know how else to describe it! Something more familiar is the crunchy graham cracker crumble on top. If you can accept the fact that a dish made with noodles can be on the sweeter side I think you will really enjoy this!

Stick around all week long as myself and 38 other bloggers share pumpkin recipes to get you ready for fall and eventually Thanksgiving – but I cannot think about that just yet. So check out the rest of today’s recipe listed below and make sure you put you name in for a chance to win the giveaway thanks to our sponsors HERE.

Here are today’s #PumpkinWeek recipes:

Beverages:

Caramel Pumpkin Spice Latte from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Cold Brew Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte from The Nifty Foodie
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Apple Cider from The Crumby Kitchen
The Great Pumpkin Cocktail from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Savory:

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce from House of Nash Eats
Creamy Pumpkin Risotto from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Harvest Pumpkin Soup from Everyday Eileen
Pumpkin & Sausage Pizza from Hardly A Goddess
Pumpkin Carbonara from The Redhead Baker
Pumpkin Chili from The Chef Next Door
Savory Pumpkin Gnocchi from Platter Talk
Pumpkin Quiche from Jonesin’ For Taste
Stuffed Pumpkin from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Taiwanese Pumpkin Rice Noodles from Caroline’s Cooking

Baked Goods & Desserts:

Chai Frosted Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Who Needs A Cape?
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Skillet Cookie from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Pumpkin Pecan Pie Dump Cake from For the Love of Food
Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Classic Pumpkin Roll from Cookaholic Wife
Glazed Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones from Family Around the Table
Homemade Pumpkin Pancakes from Tip Garden
Make-Ahead Pumpkin-Chai Egg Bites from Wholistic Woman
No Bake Pumpkin Cookies from Seduction In The Kitchen
Pumpkin Cake Pops from The Beard and The Baker
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ebelskiver from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Pumpkin Cookie Bars from Eat Move Make
Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
Pumpkin Noodle Kugel from The Spiffy Cookie
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sweet Beginnings
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups from It Bakes Me Happy
Pumpkin Pie Pull Apart Muffins from Daily Dish Recipes
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from The Mandatory Mooch
Pumpkin Spice Latte Whoopie Pies from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes from April Golightly
Pumpkin Spice Popovers from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Angel Food Cake from Love and Confections
Simple Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes from Cooking with Carlee

Two years ago: Buckeye Granola

Four years ago: Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Five years ago: Pumpkin Spice Pizzas

Six years ago: Loaded Baked Potato Dip

PUMPKIN NOODLE KUGEL

Serves 15

Ingredients:

NOODLES

1 (16 oz.) package egg noodles, cooked

1/2 cup (1 stick) Cabot unsalted butter, melted

8 Egglands best large eggs

2 cups Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar

2 cups (16 oz.) Cabot cottage cheese (preferably small curd)

1 cup (8 oz.) Cabot vanilla bean lowfat Greek yogurt

1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

TOPPING

9 graham crackers, crushed

3 Tbsp Cabot unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the cooked egg noodles in melted butter; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, cottage cheese, yogurt, pumpkin and pumpkin spice until blended. Stir in the noodles until evenly coated.
4. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
5. In a small bowl, combine the gram crackers and additional 3 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle on top off the noodle mixture.
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden (or thermometer reads 160F). Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting. May be served warm or chilled.

Source: Adapted slightly from a family friend of The Spiffy Cookie.

Disclaimer: Thank you #PumpkinWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, and Eggland’s Best for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #PumpkinWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #PumpkinWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Three (3) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #PumpkinWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #PumpkinWeek posts or entry.

Have you been stalking me on Instagram as I tackle my summer to-do list? If so then you know that tonight I’m going to see Real Madrid play Paris Saint-Germain! Ohio State’s American Football schedule may be right around the corner (woohoo!) but in the meantime I’m gonna enjoy some futball! A few friends are attending as well but we all bought our tickets at separate times so I’m not entirely sure how close our seats are together, but oh well.

This soccer game as absolutely nothing to do with this recipe today, however. Maaaaybe if it was a Greek team playing I could make some sort of lame attempt to connect to two but I’m not even gonna pretend – I just didn’t have anything else on my mind to talk about so I told you about my plans tonight. Stalk away (good luck trying to find me, although my bright purple hair might make it easier).

But in all seriousness, this spanakoptia is superior. Why? Because I originally was going to make a more classic version, inspired by this month’s Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew invitation to cook a dish from Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. But then I decided that I wanted to limit the time I spent in the kitchen, cut the recipe in half, and used puff pastry instead of phyllo dough. Because it’s easier. And my laziness paid off because this little rustic spanakopita tart looking thing was magical. Think of it as a flaky-crust spinach and cheese pizza.

One year ago: Three Cheese and Swiss Chard Pasta Bake Cake

Five years ago: BBQ Chicken Burgers

RUSTIC SPANAKOPITA

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

3 scallions

6 oz. small curd cottage cheese

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1 egg

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 tsp Greek seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp lemon pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 sheet (1/2 pkg.) frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. Thaw the spinach and drain in a colander.Squeeze out excess moisture. Roll spinach in a clean dish towel and wring dry. Place in a large bowl.
3. Chop the green and white parts of scallions separately. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet and saute the scallion whites until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallion greens. Add to the spinach along with the cottage cheese and feta.
4. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the egg briefly. Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until smooth. Add to spinach mixture.
5. To assemble, roll out the puff pastry dough on the baking sheet. Place spinach mixture in the center and spread out into a circle, leaving at least 1 inch of dough on the edges. Fold dough over the spinach mixture allowing a majority of the center to be visible. Melt the last tablespoon of butter and brush on the edges. Bake for 25-30 or until edges are golden and center is set.

Source: Adapted from The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.

Here we are at the final #thebookclubcookbookCC event. Final. Can you believe it??

It’s hard to fathom that our year-long journey to explore – and cook from – The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp* is drawing to a close. Judy, Vicki, and their publisher, Tarcher-Penguin, provided the hosting bloggers with copies of the book plus copies to giveaway each month of the project. We are so grateful for their generosity over the past year.

This three cheese baked pasta cake with Swiss chard is so easy to prepare the most difficult part is deciding for which meal to serve it!

The secret’s out! This month for the Secret Recipe Club I cooked from Karen’s blog, Lavender and Lovage. She had so many creative recipes I didn’t know how I was going to pick just one! With things such as her Pumpkin, Kale and Walnut Galette with Pancetta and Onion Jam and Shaker Lemon Pie, I bookmarked several recipes. Actually, I had planned on making two recipes including Kentish Cherry Batter Pudding but sadly my cherries went bad while I was away for a weekend. Never fear, this pasta bake cake is here to save the day.

The three cheeses part of the title is what originally drew me to this recipe but the cheeses come in a slightly different variety than you may expect. The three are cream cheese, cottage cheese, and Parmesan. While on it’s own I am not a big fan of cottage cheese (it’s a texture thing), the combination with the other two is on point, especially with the Swiss chard. While this creamy pasta bake was suggested as a light lunch option served with a side salad, I decided to serve it for brunch with a side of cubed mango. It has eggs in it so it can totally pass for breakfast-y food, right?

Four years ago: BBQ Chicken Burgers

THREE CHEESE AND SWISS CHARD PASTA BAKE CAKE

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

250 g (8.8 oz.) whole wheat penne pasta

350 g (1 bunch) fresh Swiss chard, trimmed and roughly chopped (about 3 cups)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

300g (10.5 oz.) low fat cottage cheese

150g (5.2 oz.) reduced fat cream cheese

100g (3.5 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese, plus some extra for the topping

1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9″ spring-form pan with parchment paper and set aside (could also use a 9-inch baking pan).
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta for 10 minutes, add the chard and blanch for 2 additional minutes, then drain in a colander.
3. Put the pasta, chard, and all of the other ingredients into a large bowl and mix well, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon into the prepared pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pasta bake cake has set and is golden brown.
6. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Source: Adapted slightly from Lavender and Lovage.

Get your morning going with these loaded whole wheat, blueberry, cottage cheese pancakes. Both delicious and good for you!

Jump to recipe

I love breakfast food. Like many kids, I used to always gravitate towards the sweetest, most sugary options possible. Besides my regular assortment of sugar-loaded boxed cereals, my dad also made the best pancakes and waffles.

As an adult I gravitate towards more of the savory options, but pancakes will always have a special place in my heart. I’ve tried so many different kinds at the hands of my dad – he was always finding (and still does) new recipes to try. In fact I need to tell him about this one.

It just so happened that when I saw this recipe by Miriam (Overtime Cook), I had a tub of cottage cheese begging to be used. Although I am not entirely sure why I had cottage cheese to begin with because not only did I not have a recipe in mind which called for it, it’s not something I enjoy on it’s own either.

But never fear little curds I found a purpose for you! And it happens to be in these very delicious pancakes – which I failed to fully capture the first time around as I was in a hurry to eat them. Good thing they tasted just as good the next time I made them and took the opportunity to take new photos!

One year ago: Velveeta Chicken & Veggie Mac

WHOLE WHEAT BLUEBERRY COTTAGE CHEESE PANCAKES

Print

Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups low fat small curd cottage cheese*
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except blueberries in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until all ingredients are fully combined.
2. Pour batter by the spoonful onto heated frying pan or griddle. Leave room for spreading. Immediately sprinkle a couple of blueberries onto the top of each pancake.
3. Fry until golden brown on each side. Serve hot, with maple syrup, if desired.

Notes

*If you don't like the consistency of cottage cheese, try blending it first

Source: Adapted slightly from Overtime Cook.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Post updated 1/27/22, photo above is the original.

Start your morning with this “creamed” berry cheese spread – like whipped berry cream cheese but it’s actually blended cottage cheese for added protein.

Jump to recipe

Had some hail last night compliments of a tornado. Thankfully my car was spared.

Additionally, last night I actually had the pleasure of going to dinner at Bronte with four students in town to interview for the same PhD program in which I am. Power went out at the restaurant, but only for a few minutes. Would’ve been kinda cool to eat by candle-light, assuming of course that they could still prepare our food!

Afterwards we went to Muddy’s Bake Shop and I had the best Hello Dolly bar ever. That is now on my list of things to-make at home.

But time to switch gears…

For breakfast this morning I was craving something other than yogurt or cereal, which are my typical weekday-morning choices (hey, at least I eat breakfast).

I was very happy when I realized I had everything needed for a recipe which had been bookmarked too long ago – “creamed” berry cheese spread.

“Creamed” Berry Cheese Spread Ingredients:

• Cottage cheese
• Frozen mixed berries
• Vanilla extract
• Toasted English muffins or similar

The name is in quotes I think because it resembles a berry cream cheese spread, but it is in fact cottager cheese. Creamed cottage cheese which results in the creamier texture. Whatever you call it, it’s a nice way to sneak in some protein.

According to the original recipe, this is a great addition to serve along with scrambled eggs. Or more fruit, either way it’s a great treat with which to start your morning.

Post updated 6/15/2023, photo above is the original.

"CREAMED" BERRY CHEESE SPREAD

Print

Yield: 1-1/2 cups Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries*, plus extra, thawed, for garnish
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• English muffins, for serving

Directions

1. Mix cottage cheese, berries, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Top toasted English muffins with cheese mixture. Add a few berries if desired.
3. Save leftover spread in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

* I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.

Source: Adapted slightly from SELF.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE