Cauliflower Cheese Pie Recipe

How to Make the Most Delicious Cauliflower Cheese Pie Recipe

Last weekend, my daughter and I took a day trip to NYC to see the matinee of Hamilton (amazing show and amazing that we were able to get tickets!).   By the time we emerged from the theater, a winter storm was already in progress, so we didn’t want to hang out in New York for dinner.

We headed home to a “light” supper of cheese fondue that RG prepared for us.  Cauliflower (blanched) is a staple in our cheese fondue and we prepared more than we could eat.  So, the next day I had to figure out what to do with the leftovers.

With day-old veggies, I usually think of soup, but the cauliflower triggered a memory from my college cooking days – cauliflower cheese pie from the Moosewood Cookbook.   Back then, Moosewood was the go-to vegetarian cookbook, especially for people on a limited budget like me and my roommates.

The pie I made is really simple, and the ingredients are easy to find if not already on hand.  Think quiche but with a potato crust.

When I prepared this over the weekend, I conferred with my Moosewood (much the worse for wear) but improvised along the way based on what we had on hand.

Here’s what I did:

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Cauliflower Cheese Pie Recipe

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the crust

• About 2 cups peeled shredded potatoes (I had 9 loose red potatoes in my drawer so I used those)
• ¼ onion peeled and grated
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Filling

• 1 head cauliflower or could substitute broccoli or other veg, blanched and chopped into small florets
• 1 onion
• spices
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese about 1 cup shredded or other mild cheese
• 2 eggs
• splash milk maybe ¼ cup or so

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Crust

• I put the shredded potatoes in a colander, salted them, and let them sit for about 15 minutes.
• Then I squeezed as much water out of them as possible before mixing them with the onion, egg, and salt and pepper.
• I pressed the mixture into a greased pie plate so it resembled crust.
• I baked this in a 400° F oven for about 40 minutes; halfway through I sprayed cooking oil on the crust to help it brown.

For the Filling

• While the crust cooked, I took the leftover cauliflower, chopped it into smaller pieces, and sautéed it with a chopped onion.
• I added some herbs de Provence that I had on hand but you could add anything you like – basil, thyme, parsley for example. Once this was soft, I set it aside.
• I grated the block of cheese.
• When the crust was done, I sprinkled half the cheese on the bottom of the crust, added the cauliflower mixture, and topped with the rest of the cheese.
• Then I whisked the 2 eggs and milk together and poured over the filling.
• The pie went back into the oven at a lower temperature of 375 for about 30 minutes, until the center was set.
• I let the pie cool for about ten minutes before slicing and serving for a midday snack.

This concoction was a home run in many ways – it brought back happy memories of my college years, it was super easy and used up some leftovers, it was a hit with my family, and it fit in nicely to new habits I am trying to build, namely:  reduce sugar intake, make veggies at least 50% of every meal, and limit bread consumption.

My daughter liked it so much she specifically requested I set a piece aside for her to pack for her school lunch the next day.  All in all, vegetable success story!