Two years ago, around this time of the year when the leaves begin to turn, I had my wisdom teeth removed. You might be thinking, “Boo hoo, we all have our wisdom teeth removed at some point or another,” but there’s one thing you might not understand: I had them taken out during Thanksgiving break.
For that entire week, my diet consisted of mashed potatoes and vanilla pudding. As my family and friends enjoyed juicy turkey slices with cranberry sauce, crunchy green beans and sickeningly sweet pecan pie, I groggily spooned pale mush into my mouth, while fat tears rolled down my cheeks. Okay, so maybe that’s a little dramatic, but I did want to cry out of revulsion when my best friend’s mom thought it would be a good idea to make me a “Thanksgiving smoothie.” AKA she put all the foods I couldn’t eat in a blender with chicken stock and made me drink it. Sob!
After that depressing year sans food to be thankful for, I vowed to never again miss the traditional Thanksgiving dinner I looked forward to every year. But then, dorm life happened.
Unlike many of my lucky peers, I do not get to fly home for Thanksgiving this year, meaning I am again unable to enjoy a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner. Although I am sure the dining halls will attempt to make a Thanksgiving meal for the poor souls stuck on campus, I might as well drink another “Thanksgiving smoothie.”
Instead, in anticipation of the feast to come, I decided to try my hand at a dorm-friendly recipe for pumpkin pie, an all-time Thanksgiving classic. For this, I adapted a recipe from Reader’s Digest, biked to Trader Joe’s and got started.
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie with a Gingersnap Crust
You will need:
2 cups fine gingersnap crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 packages (3 3/4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix (2 pre-made pudding cups are easier!)
1/2 cup milk
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pie pan (store bought aluminum pan works!)
First, combine the gingersnap crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. Then, press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan along the bottom and edges as evenly as possible. Put the crust in the fridge to set while you make the pie filling. In another bowl, whisk together the two vanilla pudding mixes with the milk until it turns, well, pudding-y. Next, stir in the pumpkin puree and spices until well blended and pour the batter into the pie pan. Refrigerate the pie for at least five hours to let the mixture set. Last but not least, enjoy the pie with whipped cream in your dorm lounge with fellow students.
Although the pie filling density wasn’t exactly what I’m used to eating for Thanksgiving (much creamier and less solid than normal!), the taste was spot on – the perfect combination of cinnamon and pumpkin. Plus, if you’re getting your wisdom teeth removed this Thanksgiving, it definitely passes the mush test. The crust was my favorite part of the pie (as well as the favorite of those I shared with), as it was crunchy and delicious.
Enjoy!
PS: If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even cook a Thanksgiving turkey in a microwave! I, however, do not know what I would do with an entire turkey on a Wednesday night, so I decided to skip the bird this year.
Email: [email protected]
