Creamy, Pumpkin-Flavored Pie Infused with Tangy Cream Cheese

In the spirit of the upcoming festive season, let's delve into a delightful recipe for Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie. This recipe offers a tangy twist on the traditional pumpkin pie, and it's surprisingly simple to make.

Firstly, you have the option to use a homemade pie crust or opt for store-bought deep-dish pie crusts, such as Marie Callender's Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells or Pillsbury Deep Dish Frozen Pie Crusts. If you choose the latter, ensure it comes in a pan for easy filling.

Once you've got your pie crust ready, it's time to pre-bake it. This step is crucial, as the filling is poured into a pre-baked pie crust.

The filling itself contains a unique ingredient: cream cheese. This gives the pie a slightly tangy flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. To prevent over-browning and burning, avoid brushing the pie crust crimp with egg wash.

Now, let's talk about pie weights. You can use coins from a loose change jar, or alternative items like beans, rice, or granulated sugar, to weigh down the pie crust during pre-baking.

Once the pie crust is pre-baked and cooled, it's time to pour in the filling. The recipe makes enough pumpkin pie filling to fill 2 shallow store-bought pie crusts, or 1 extra deep-dish homemade pie crust.

If you're planning to freeze the pie, wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze it for 2 to 4 hours, until the pie filling is completely solid. After freezing, you can store the pie for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, thaw the frozen pie overnight in the refrigerator. The pie can be kept at room temperature for 1 day, but should be refrigerated if it has dairy garnishes. It's best served slightly chilled, but individual slices can also be rewarmed in the microwave if preferred.

Remember, if you're leaving the pie out for more than 1 day, it should be refrigerated. And, leftovers can be refrigerated for an additional 2 days.

Enjoy this creamy, tangy twist on a classic pumpkin pie this season!