MOUTH PIANO RECIPES

Steps:

• As you gut the pumpkins, keep all the seeds—and guts—in a bowl.Throw them into a colander and rinse them under cold water, pulling away the chunks of pulp as you go.Spread the rinsed seeds out on a baking sheet.Allow the seeds to dry several hours or overnight. And beware: they’re quite sticky/slimy, so don’t place them on paper towels! Just leave ‘em on the baking sheet and they’ll be fine.When they’re nice and dry, go ahead and preheat the oven to 250 degrees.Begin by drizzling the seeds with a couple teaspoons of olive oil.Use your fingers to toss the seeds around to coat.Then salt and season the seeds to taste.Pop ‘em in the oven for an hour or so, until the seeds are light golden brown.Let them cool for a few minutes…then let the snacking begin!Pepitas need to be stored in an airtight container if they last beyond the first day.

Steps:

• In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes until no longer raw, whisking frequently. Add whole milk and whisk again. Bring to a simmer and let bubble until thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and remove from heat. Whisk in cheddar and 1/4 c parmesan and whisk until smooth. Spray the bowl of your Crock-Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add a small spoonful of cheese sauce on the bottom of Crock-Pot bowl. Create your first layer of sliced potatoes, overlapping them slightly, until a completer layer is formed. Spoon over more cheese sauce (about a 1/4 c) and sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of the remaining parmesan. Continue layering until all potatoes, cheese sauce, and parmesan are used, ending on parmesan. Place slow cooker on high and cook until potatoes are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking halfway to make sure the potatoes aren’t burning. When finished, remove Crock-Pot insert if oven friendly and broil if desired. Garnish with parsley and serve.