Favorite Ingredient Friday is colliding with Scrumptious Sunday ~ Pumpkin Edition ~ Pumpkin Cheesecake & Pumpkin Casserole

Favorite Ingredient Friday, Holiday Cooking Blogger Style is hosted at Overwhelmed with Joy
Be sure to check it out November 7th

Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks
PUMPKIN CASSEROLE

16 ounce can pumpkin
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup half & half
4 eggs
4 ounces grated jack cheese
PURE

• In a large mixing bowl stir together cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
• Add pumpkin and seasonings, blending well.
• Add in half and half blending until creamy.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
  
• Blend in 3/4 cup cheese.
• Generously spray an 8x8 baking dish with PURE.
• Spoon mixture into dish.
• Place dish inside a larger dish and carefully add boiling water around the edge until 1 inch deep.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
• Top with remaining cheese and serve.
  

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

3 cups crushed ginger snaps/vanilla wafers mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon golden Rum
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  
• Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter until coarse crumbs.
• Press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan (I like to use a square one).
• Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
• On a low speed beat cream cheese is smooth and creamy, but DO NOT OVER BEAT!
• Gradually add sugar and then eggs, one at a time, beating until just blended.
• Pour 3 cups of this mixture on top of crumb crust.
• To the remaining cream cheese mixture, add the pumpkin puree and spices mixing until just blended.
• Pour this mixture on top of the plain cream cheese mixture.
• Bake 1 hour 25 minutes or until edges are set, but center still jiggles when moved.
• Turn oven off and open door 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and run a table knife around the edge of pan to loosen.
• Cool on cooling rack another 30 minutes.
• Cover loosely and and chill at least 6 hours.
• Remove pan sides and serve with Caramel Sauce.