If the back-to-school madness has distracted you from kitchen adventures, the recipes in this month’s Pillsbury magazine might help you get back in the swing of things! The pot pies, casseroles and slow cooker dishes featured this month take comfort food to the extreme. Every recipe is a stick-to-your ribs classic with a fun Pillsbury twist. (Anyone up for a Burger ‘n Fries Pot Pie?!)

The slow cooker meals are especially great for busy families. Throw all the ingredients into the pot in the morning, and it will be ready for you by dinnertime. The mag has a ton of slow cooker favorites, but if you’re feeling adventurous, maybe give this one a try (you won’t be able to find it on the website!):

Chicken-Coconut-Pineapple Curry
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Start to Finish: 6 hours, 55 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1¼ lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 dark-orange sweet potatoes (1½ lb), peeled, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso chopped green chiles
½ cup Progresso chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
4 oz fresh snow pea pods (1 cup), strings removed, cut diagonally in half
1 large firm ripe banana, cut in half length-wise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch chunks
2 cups uncooked instant white rice

Directions:

1.    Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients except bell pepper, pea pods, banana and rice.

2.    Cover; cook on low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.

3.    Stir in bell pepper and pea pods. Cover; cook about 30 minutes longer or until bell pepper and pea pods are crisp-tender. Stir in banana. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package. Serve curry mixture over rice.

Also, Halloween is probably already on your kids’ minds. Finding the perfect costumes might give you some trouble, but the spooky treats are taken care of. The bonus Halloween section at the back of the mag has some of the cutest recipe ideas I’ve seen in a long time. Try this magazine-exclusive recipe on Halloween morning before you send your little goblins off on their candy-filled day:

Baked Eyeball Eggs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Start to Finish: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 bag (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can (10¾ oz) condensed cream of potato soup
1 container (8 oz) sour cream (about 1 cup)
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz)
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
10 slices Canadian bacon (about 6 oz)
10 eggs
Ketchup

Directions:

1.    Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, mix potatoes, soup, sour cream, cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, spreading evenly.

2.    Arrange bacon slices in pairs over top of potato mixture to resemble eyes. Press bacon into mixture to form deep cups (for eggs). Bake 40 minutes.

3.    Remove baking dish from oven. If necessary, press bacon into mixture to reshape cups. Carefully break 1 egg into each bacon cup.

4.    Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or just until eggs are set. Decorate eggs with ketchup “veins” to resemble bloodshot eyeballs.
 
Have you picked up the magazine yet? What are your thoughts? Tell us about your favorite new recipes! I’d especially love to hear if you agree about how fantastic the Halloween treats are.