Author Notes
When I was in college, we all cooked from The Moosewood Cookbook. It was a given that the excellent Cheese and Cauliflower Pie, which we dubbed "Hippie Pie," would be served at every big gathering. Tasty, easy, and vegetarian friendly, it was a perfect potluck food. Now, many (MANY!) years later, my vegetarian husband asks for this pie as soon as cauliflower appears at the market. I've been fiddling with the original recipe, adding sweet potatoes and spinach, roasting the cauliflower, and using more fresh herbs, but the integral brilliance of this pie is Mollie Katzen's alone. (PS Don't try this with purple cauliflower. NOT pretty.) - MrsWheelbarrow —MrsWheelbarrow
Test Kitchen Notes
MrsWheelbarrow is spot on with her Hippie Pie! I compared hers with the original—I have my original cookbook, circa 1976 and hadn’t revisited it for many years until now. She gives it a flavor boost by adding sweet potato to her potato crust. She ups it further with wilted spinach and parsley and she takes it over the top with cheeses and roasting the cauliflower instead of steaming it. Her changes take the Mollie Katzen classic up a few notches and make for absolutely delicious results. - dymnymo —The Editors
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Ingredients
- Many Potato Crust
-
1 pound
red skinned potatoes
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1 pound
white sweet potato
-
1
medium yellow onion
-
2
large eggs
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1 teaspoon
salt
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1 teaspoon
pepper
- Roasted Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Filling
-
1
cauliflower - I love to use Cheddar cauliflower, but regular white or Romanecu are also nice
-
1
large yellow onion, diced
-
4 ounces
fresh spinach
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Olive oil
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1 tablespoon
fresh marjoram
-
1/2 cup
milk
-
2
large eggs
-
1 cup
grated fontina
-
1/2 cup
Parmesian
-
1/2 cup
Pecorino Romano
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1/4 cup
fresh parsley
Directions
- Many Potato Crust
-
Grate the potatoes and onion in the food processor or on the largest side of a box grater. Place in a colander and drain for a few minutes.
-
Beat the eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl and add the potatoes and onions, then mix (with your hands) until everything is well incorporated.
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Brush the bottom and sides of a deep dish pie pan with olive oil. Press in the potato mixture forming thick sides and a well into which the vegetables will go.
-
Roast in a 425 oven for 25 minutes while you prepare the cauliflower.
- Roasted Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Filling
-
Core and slice in thick slices the entire head of cauliflower. Place slices on a parchment lined sheet pan. Brush with olive oil and generously salt and pepper.
-
The potato crust's first roasting (25 min) should be over. Slide the cauliflower into the oven with the potato crust. Brush the crust with olive oil and continue roasting for 20 minutes more.
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While that cooks, dice the onion, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan, add the diced onion, the marjoram and a generous pinch of salt and grinding of pepper. Slowly cook and caramelize the onions. Set aside.
-
Wilt the spinach, squeeze out excess moisture, and chop fine, then stir in the parsley. Beat together the eggs and milk. Mix together all the grated cheeses. Set aside.
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Remove the crust and cauliflower from the oven. Scatter the chopped spinach across the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the spinach. Stir the cauliflower and onions together and pile half the mixture into the crust. Scatter 1/2 the remaining cheese across the cauliflower mixture. Add the remaining cauliflower, then SLOWLY pour the egg mixture over everything, letting it sneak into all the corners and spaces. Top with the remaining cheese.
-
Back in the oven (reduce heat to 375°) for 35 minutes. Allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.
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