Broccoli-Cheddar Pie

For the holidays this year, I was quite fortunate and received three new cookbooks. Among these was The New Moosewood Cookbook, which is filled with fun vegetarian recipes. I tried my first one tonight and man, it was good. Of course, I modified it a bit. The recipe below was originally called Cauliflower-Cheese Pie, but my husband isn’t a huge fan of cauliflower, so I subbed in broccoli. I think it gives the pie a nice color contrast. Plus, I love broccoli. This was make for a great lunch/dinner/potluck dish. I was very, very pleased.

Broccoli-Cheese Pie modified from Cauliflower-Cheese Pie in The New Moosewood Cookbook:

4-5 Servings

Crust-
2 c. (packed) grated raw potato
½ c. grated onion
½ tsp. salt (I used kosher)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Flour for your fingers
A little oil (I used extra virgin olive oil because of its great flavor)

Filling-
1 Tb. olive oil or butter (I used olive oil)
1 c. chopped onion
2 medium cloves of garlic, minced (It was more like 4)
½ tsp. salt (kosher, again)
½ tsp. basil
¼ tsp. thyme (both dried)
1 medium broccoli, cut into small pieces
2 eggs or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white (I went with the two eggs)
¼ c. milk (I used 1%)
1 c. packed grated cheddar
Paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9” pie pan.

Combine grated potato and onion, salt, and egg white in a small bowl and mix well. If you have a food processor, you can make quick work of this pie. Grate the cheese, potato, and onion in that order. You don’t need to clean in between. I don’t have one, however, so I did it by hand. Transfer mixture to the pie pan and pat into place with lightly floured fingers, building up the sides into a handsome edge.



Bake for 20 minutes, then brush the crust with a little oil and bake it 10 more minutes. Remove from oven, and turn the temperature down to 375 degrees.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, pepper, and herbs, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, stir, and cover. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally (about 8 to 10 minutes).





Spread half the cheese onto the baked crust (OK if it’s still hot). Spoon the sautéed vegetables on top, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Beat the eggs and milk together, and pour this over the top. Dust lightly with paprika. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until set. Serve hot or warm.



My husband, ever the meat eater, suggested mixing in some chicken next time. I think it would go rather well. This seems to be a recipe that can be adapted and modified all over the place. There are leftovers, but I don’t know how long they will last.