Wednesday: Pumpkin Streusel Bars, Charcuterie Lunch & Loaf Pan Chicken
I got up this morning and basically went straight for the pumpkin bars I made last night.
For research purposes, obviously.
And I’m very happy to report that the Ingredient Household After Dark experiment was a success.
These are really good.
The Pumpkin Bars Were a Winner
My main requirement when I started experimenting last night was that I wanted to use the entire can of pumpkin.
I do not want half a can of pumpkin sitting in my refrigerator waiting for me to figure out its destiny.
And this worked.
Pumpkin Streusel Bars
For the bars:
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I didn’t use this)
- A little dairy-free milk only if needed to get the batter thick but spreadable
For the pecan streusel:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Mix the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients and spread the batter into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan.
Mix the streusel ingredients together and crumble them over the top.
Bake at 350°F for about 28–38 minutes. You’ll know they’re getting there when the edges begin pulling away from the sides of the pan.
And here’s my recommendation after actually eating them:
Double the streusel.
I did not do that. You should definitely do that.
I also think these would be incredible with a simple glaze drizzled over the top. They’re plenty good without it, but pumpkin + pecan streusel + glaze?
Come on.
I’ll be making these again.
We also had bacon and Costco bagels for breakfast, and then we got started on school.
Naan Dipper Charcuterie Lunch
Lunch was one of those meals that looked a lot more exciting than the amount of work I actually put into it.
I buy the little naan dippers at Costco from the refrigerated specialty cheese area.
I like to pop them into the oven and toast them a little before serving.
Today I put those out charcuterie-style with different cheeses, summer sausage and other little odds and ends.
Huge hit.
Everyone had a really good lunch, and it’s such an easy way to turn random refrigerator ingredients into something that feels fun.
I made myself a barbecue chicken salad with some of the grilled chicken we still had and we got back to finish our school day.
Getting Ready for Co-op
This afternoon the kids played outside while I got everything ready for co-op tomorrow.
All the lunches are packed.
And I made my new favorite co-op snack again:
Cold pizza.
I bake a Costco frozen pizza, let it cool completely, slice it and put the individual slices into little bags.
Then when everyone is starving in the afternoon—or especially during our drive home—I can basically just start throwing pizza at children.
No heating.
No utensils.
No assembly.
Here. Have pizza.
It’s working beautifully, so we’re sticking with it.
When my kids came back inside after doing water slides, water balloons, etc…the 4 year old was HANGRY! I made her a platter of food including a reheated burger from our Sunday dinner. It was quick and easy to give her a solid pre-dinner snack because I made those extra burgers….notice she uses the buns as a vessel to eat the burger/cheese…but doesn’t actually eat the bun! lol!
Loaf Pan Chicken Is Back
For dinner tonight, I brought back something I haven’t made in a while:
I made two full loaf pans because if I’m going to do it, I want enough chicken to actually help me for the next few days.
I’ll link my full loaf pan chicken recipe here, but I bake the thighs at 425°F for about 40–45 minutes, until they’re cooked through.
It is such an easy way to make a big batch of chicken without standing over anything.
The Little French-Fry Potatoes
Alongside the chicken, I made another tray of our favorite crispy shredded potatoes.
I use the frozen shredded potatoes that come in the two-pack and spread them over my extra-deep half-sheet pan.
Add:
Olive oil.
Salt.
Pepper.
Garlic powder.
Then into the 425°F oven they go.
I toss and scrape them around periodically so more surfaces have a chance to brown.
By the end, they’re basically tiny little crispy French fries.
There’s a reason my family never seems to get tired of them.
Creamy Hummus Dressing
Then I made a really easy hummus dressing for the chicken.
I used two of the little individual Costco hummus containers and thinned them into a dressing with:
- Olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- A little Italian seasoning
Just stir everything together until it’s creamy and pourable. I also like to add a little glue of honey.
This is one of those dressings where I don’t think you need to obsess over measurements. Taste it. If it’s too thick, add a little more acid or olive oil. If it tastes flat, it probably needs another pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon.
Another Adaptable Dinner
Then I put everything out:
Loaf pan chicken thighs.
Crispy shredded potatoes.
Frozen green beans.
Hummus dressing.
Fresh tomatoes.
Onions.
Lemon wedges to squeeze over everything.
And everybody could do what they wanted with it.
Keep the chicken, potatoes and vegetables completely separate?
Great.
Pile everything into a bowl and drizzle hummus dressing all over it?
Also great.
It was one of those dinners where the components are basic, but when you put everything together, it is really, really good.
Everyone ate.
I packed a full lunch for Chris from the leftovers.
And I now have a ton of cooked loaf pan chicken.
I’ll keep some in the refrigerator for the next couple of days and put some into the freezer.
Which means tomorrow’s a co-op day, the lunches are already packed, there’s cold pizza ready for the ride home, and Future Me has a refrigerator full of cooked chicken.