Ricotta Rice Pie....An Easter Tradition!

Ricotta Rice Pie!

I will be having my family here for Easter this year....and every year, no matter where we go for Easter, I make this most delicious Ricotta Rice Pie.

This recipe was handed down to me from my Mom.  She use to make this pie every Easter, and even around Christmastime when she hosted the "Deacon's Christmas Party".  I remember it all so well, she would be cooking all week for this Christmas Party, all the delicious foods that us kids would love to eat.  On her menu was "Ricotta Rice Pie".  My sister and I loved this pie, and we were so worried we wouldn't get a piece, after the platter went around to all the Deacon's and their wives. 

Finally the time came, and the platter went around the huge table, there was at least 20 people around that large table. There we were in our P.J.'s, (yes we were very young) waiting in the kitchen for the leftover pie. Would you believe the platter was empty!  YES, EMPTY....but my sister and I enjoyed the crumbs, and they were delicious!

This pie, is so creamy from the ricotta cheese, and you don't even know there's rice in it, it's so tender.  I like to serve this with sliced strawberries and whipped cream, or you could just eat it plain.  Here's the recipe!

Ricotta Rice Pie

2 cups COOKED white rice COOLED (I use Carolina Long Grain)
2 cups Ricotta Cheese
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs beaten
1/2 stick butter softened
1 TBS almond extract
1 pint fresh strawberries sliced, and sweetened with 1 TBS sugar
Freshly whipped cream

HINT - Cook the rice the day or night before so it's cooled down. Leave all the ingredients at room temp for about 1 hour before you start mixing, you do not want cold ingredients just won't work!

With an mixer,  beat the butter, eggs, sugar, and almond extract.  Add the Ricotta cheese and beat until smooth.  Add the rice and mix really good.

Grease a spring form pan, and add the batter, or a 9x13 dish.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  When cooled, run a sharp knife around the spring form pan, and unmold.  Put on a pretty platter, serve with fresh strawberries, sweetened with 1 TBS sugar, and freshly whipped cream! YUMMO!

I'm BACK......and Zucchini Pie!

I'm linking this recipe up with The Better Baker Linky Party.  Go take a look-see!

Well it's been almost a whole month since I've been on my blog!  Yes, I took a little vacation.  I needed a break, even though I LOVE sharing my recipes, and my life, but it can be busy. 

We went on vacation down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, what a wonderful time we had, being right on the beach, and we had perfect weather! 

We swam everyday in the ocean, played in the sand, shopped, and just spent time enjoying each other's company.  It was a great and relaxing vacation!

Morning Sunrise in the Outerbanks!

 

My Crazy Kids!

The kids go back to school next week, and I must say this was one of the best Summer's ever spent with my Hubby and kids.  We had a full summer filled with friends, family, and activities, but I can also say we had a lot of down time too, and that is so important to me.

Our garden is dying down, we had a wonderful harvest of veggies.  The tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, not too many cucumbers, who knows why, and the zucchini were plentiful, and we love our zucchini.

Here is a great recipe to use up all the Zucchini you have in the garden.  My Mom has been making this Zucchini Pie all of my life now, and it has always been a favorite of mine.  I use my "No Fail Pie Crust" recipe, or you can just use refrigerated pie crust if you want too. 

Zucchini Pie

4 Cups Zucchini sliced very thin
1 small onion chopped small
4 eggs beaten
1/2 cup Parm cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 TBS fresh parsley minced

No Fail Pie crust recipe, or 2 pie crust rolled out.

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl, and stir until all combined.  Roll out half the pie crust, and put in a pie plate, add the Zucchini filling.  Roll out the other half of the pie crust, and put on top of the filling.  Make 3 slits in the top crust, and put in a preheated 350 oven for 1 hour.  Cool slightly and enjoy! YUMMO!

Our Veggie Garden....and Chicken Pot Pie!

Hi everyone!  I'm linking this recipe up with Walking on Sunshine's Linky Party....Go take a look-see!

Happy Sunday!  I hope all are having a "day of rest", we try to rest on Sundays, but in the Summer months it sure is hard.  We went to church this morning, then my Hubby treated us to a breakfast out, it was nice not having to cook, and enjoyed spending the time with my family.

Our veggie garden is doing so well.  Everything is growing, and all the rain that we are getting helps, but I would rather not have so much of it!  We have about 10 Eggplant growing today, can't wait to make a batch of my "Oven-Fried Eggplant".  The Tomatoes are still green, but wow, we have so many.  There about 3 more Zucchini growing, and little tiny ones starting to grow, I have Beans galore to pick, and there's about 6 Banana Peppers to pick soon, and cucumbers, and 1 red pepper ready to be picked. The Brussel Sprouts leaves are huge, but nothing on them yet.

We did have some "pests" in the garden, bugs that is.  So we had to stay on it and spray them away!

Enjoy the pictures, I love sharing the bounty of our labor!

Zucchini!

Tomatoes!

Peppers!

Eggplant



Our "girls"....aka Chickens! And, NO, we don't eat our Chickens, only their EGGS! :)

So since I'm on the Chicken topic.....My girl Rebecca comes home today from her Missions Trip!  She's been away for a whole week.  I am cooking her favorite meal, Chicken Pot Pie, here's the recipe.  Enjoy!

Pie Crust for one pie

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup shortening

1 tsp salt

1 egg

water

1 tsp. vinegar

In a large bowl put the flour and salt, and shortening, then using a pastry cutter or 2 knives cut the shortening into the flour and salt. Using a liquid measuring cup, break one egg into it, and then fill it to the 1/2 cup line with ice cold water, and add 1 tsp vinegar.....YES vinegar......it will be fine you'll see. Mix it with a fork, then add it to the flour/shortening mixture and mix together with with a fork, then get your hands in there and gather the dough together don't be afraid, this pie dough recipe you can work the dough and it will still be flaky! Form into a round disk, if it's too wet, add a little more flour, too dry, add very little water....it will be sticky, but not overly sticky.....all depends on the day and humidity.......wrap in plastic wrap and put in the frig for about 1/2 hour, or you can even leave it in there for 2 days, or freeze it for whatever pie you want :)

Filling

About 2 cups COOKED shredded chicken breast or whatever you like, dark or white...mine are from the STORE! (if you don't know how to cook it, cut them up in small pieces, and put a little canoa oil in a frying pan, and cook until lightly brown)
2 cups milk, 2% or whole
4 TBS cornstarch
2 cups chicken stock or 2 cups water with 2 TBS chicken bouillon added (I use the water with bouillon)
4 TBS butter (don't worry you're not gonna eat the whole pie, well maybe you will)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups mixed frozen veggies (corn, peas, carrots, whatever)

In a large pot, add the milk, cornstarch, add the water with the bouillon mixed, or chicken stock, salt, pepper, butter,.whisk constantly, but watch it, keep whisking, you don't want it to burn.....it will start to bubble and become thickened, take off heat and add cheese, stir let it melt, and then add the COOKED chicken, and veggies.. stir.....COOL... now the pie crust

The filling!

Take the pie dough out of the frig, and on a well floured surface, cut the dough disk in half, take one of the halves and roll out, this is the bottom of the pie. Make sure you have a dusting of flour on the bottom and top of the dough before rolling, and on your rolling pin...roll out to a rectangle since you will use a 9x13 dish, or a round dish if you want to use a deep round casserole dish. Keep rolling take your time if it sticks add a little more flour, moving the dough so it doesn't stick, move it around after each roll with the pin.

Rolling out the pie dough/crust....EASY, you can do it!

Put it on the bottom of a 9x13 dish, then add the cooled filling, and roll out the top pie crust the same way, lay it carefully over the filling, seal the edges, and cut three holes in the top crust for vent holes. Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes until you see it bubbling and light brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving!

Done and ready for the oven!

Complete YUMMO! Enjoy!