Going Bottomless @ Thanksgiving Dinner

Ooh, what a great idea, to bake it bottomless! I don't usually like the crust anyway... so this seems like a brilliant plan to me. Would it change the quality of the filling? I'm a pumpkin pie girl, myself, which is already on the healthier end of pies. I'm curious to see the answers!

I'm planning on doing turkey breast rather than the whole turkey. This will be my first Thanksgiving dinner. Me, my kids, my sis and bro-n-law. Sis has been dieting with me and bro-n-law is diabetic. And the kids... well we all could use a healthier Thanksgiving meal so that will be the them for our dinner this year. Recipes are welcome.

Im currently working on calibrating my menu for Thanksgiving because I want to ENJOY an actual dessert. Instead of puff pastry dough, I will be making a whole-wheat pie crust for the bottom... its an Apple-Fig-Tart Fine. Freshly sliced apples, thinly sliced, a fig spread and baked in the oven. Take it out, sprinkle a little/light dusting of sugar and brulee the hell out of it.

Hubby will have his normal pumpkin pie (one crust) with a scoop of real vanilla-bean icecream on top of it.

I'm planning on doing turkey breast rather than the whole turkey. This will be my first Thanksgiving dinner. Me, my kids, my sis and bro-n-law. Sis has been dieting with me and bro-n-law is diabetic. And the kids... well we all could use a healthier Thanksgiving meal so that will be the them for our dinner this year. Recipes are welcome.

I love it! Start your own Tradition.

Ha ha! I'm on the phone with my sister and she does not concur.

I think a pie with no bottom is more like a cobbler. I have made apple cobbler a couple times and you can really cut out a lot of fat and sugar this way. The best way to cook a cobbler is to cook it in individual ramekins so portion never becomes an issue!

I am thinking of pumpkin in a ramekin as well with cinnamon and whip cream on top! There is a restaurant in Dallas called, "the Hard Eight" that serves cheesecake and baked apples in disposable ramekins that is the perfect size to get the taste and appreciate the dessert without blowing your diet for the day. I think they are 2-3 ounces.

My pie crusts will be deliciously full of fat like they always are, top and bottom. I will also be doing gluten/grain free tart crusts made from blanched almonds and butter. My Thanksgiving meal is healthy regardless, lots of fresh veggies and a turkey from a local farm, (dark meat for me, please!). I work my butt off for pie, and for me, the crust is the very best part.

I also just wanted to mention that a pie without a bottom crust is not a pie, it's a cobbler.

Edited to add: You can absolutely bake pumpkin pie filling in an actual pumpkin. You can bake it in small indv. pumpkins. Kids would love it.

i was just thinking about this today. Why wait for thanksgiving. The canned pumpkin is ok, i could do splenda, egg whites, canned milk, and spices and bake in a ramekin. I think i will do that for tomorrow.
I will report back with results.
Just as a side note, i'm already stressing about turk day. I won't be cooking, and will be a guest somewhere, and i don't want to fall too heavily off the wagon. I'm sure it would make me sick if i did.

and here I thought we were talking about pants!

oh well.

I say go bottomless.... pies, cheesecakes... everyone at the table LOL

Cramernh- I make a casserole thing where I super thin slice sweet potatoes and apples and place them every other one in a dish. A light sprinkle of cinnamon, and sometimes lemon juice. It smells wonderful baking. I don't have a real recipe but you could probably make it happen

Oooh. You could carmelize the cinnamon and lemon juice with a small amount of sugar and then pour it over the top like a sauce. Cover and bake. Mmmmm... I'm imagining it now. Sorry to throw a variation on your recipe but it sounds wonderful.

oh yum!

I'm totally a Thanksgiving purist and believe everyone should pass out in the family room watching the football game after having a truly decadent meal. HOWEVER, I'm all about adding some healthy twists to traditional dishes. No fake butter substitute crap, but things like Green Bean Almadine instead of Green Bean Casserole, and Brandied Cranberries instead of that cranberry jelly crap. (actually, that's probably got as much sugar, but the cranberries are fresh when you star out, damnit!)....


All that aside, the idea of individual pies in ramekins makes me a little whet.

Crap, I just ate the crust of the pie I made. I just never stopped forking. Back to dancing for a bit.

so... you forked your bottom until it was gone?!?!??!?
:noway: :noway: :noway: