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Chicken and Cauliflower Pie

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Sure, leftovers are great for the next day’s lunch. But what if tonight’s meal ended up as tomorrow’s supper—yet in a totally new, unexpected way? This is “Dinner Tonight, Dinner Tomorrow,” a monthly series that we hope you find as useful as we do.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 15 medium cauliflower florets (about 12 ounces), halved to create flat surfaces on each floret
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 recipe pie dough (whichever’s your favorite), enough for a double crust 9-inch pie
  • About 3 cups leftover paprikash-ish
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons (or so) of toasted pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Flaky salt

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Make your favorite pie dough recipe, adding a tablespoon of sweet paprika to the dry ingredients if you like. 
  2. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower florets, flat side down and cook for six minutes. Turn cauliflower over, and continue to cook for four minutes more. Florets will be lightly browned. Remove to large bowl heat and toss with minced garlic. 
  3. Roll one 12-inch circle of dough and drape it into your favorite 9-inch pie plate. Trim excess edges. Prick the dough with a fork about 25 times, then lay a piece of parchment into the dough. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and let the crust cool for at least 15 minutes.
  4. Cut up leftover paprikash chicken into one-inch pieces. Measure 3 cups, and add it to the bowl of cauliflower. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry, then drizzle over cauliflower/chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in toasted pine nuts and capers.
  5. Fill baked shell with cauliflower mixture, smoothing top flat. Roll out remaining pie dough to 12-inch circle and, using a shot glass, punch out five or six holes for ventilation. Drape dough over the top, then crimp dough around edges of pie plate. Don’t be precious with the crimp; remember, this is a rustic pie.
  6. Place pie on sheet pan (this will catch any bubble-over). Stir together melted butter and garlic powder. Brush top of pie with butter mixture and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling at the vents. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving with a simple salad of fresh bitter greens.
  7. This recipe makes a full-sized, 9-inch pie. If you prefer smaller, individual pies in ramekins, skip the bottom crust and simply roll out enough for a single crust that overhangs the ramekin edge by a half inch or so. Use a shot glass to punch out a ventilation circle in the middle, drape dough over, and bake about 25 minutes.