Chicken Pie with Cauliflower Crust is a healthy and simpler take on the traditional chicken pot pie. This recipe is an easy weeknight meal, but hearty enough that you will want it on Sunday. Layers of fresh veggies are sautéed and then topped with a Cauliflower Cheddar crust that is browned up in the oven.
Have you ever watched Chopped on the Food Network? Yea, who hasn’t, even if you’re not a foodie, you start flipping through the channels and you see these guys and gals in aprons running around cooking crazy stuff, you stop and watch.
I usually watch with utter and complete awe. I mean I love to cook, and I love to compete, but I also like to plan. I like to write things down, and think about them, maybe change my mind. Well, when those chefs have given a challenge a basket of crazy ingredients and told to make a delicious dish in minutes…. my heart rate is going up just typing this, I think no way, no how could this simple girl do that!
BUT, if you told me I could do the challenge in my own kitchen, take my time, listen to a little music… Then “heck yes” I want to compete, that is a challenge for me!
And guess what, you can have fun, too … along with the opportunity to win $10,000! Now that is some serious FUN!
- [br][b]Chicken Pie filling:[/b]
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, trimmed and diced
- 2 large celery stalks, trimmed and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, outer leaves removed, flesh sliced and diced
- 9 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 rotisserie organic chicken, skin removed and meat shredded {about 1lb}
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- [br][b]Cauliflower Crust:[/b]
- 1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and torn into florets
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed {used to top before baking}
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and cook stirring for 3-4 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the celery and bay leaf and increase the heat to high, cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to the boil.
- Add the carrots, fennel and mushrooms and reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Continue to simmer the mixture until the volume of liquid has reduced and the vegetables are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the topping, fill the bottom of a pot with 1/2” of water and add the cauliflower, and garlic cloves.
- Bring the pan contents to a simmer over a medium heat, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork (add a splash more water during cooking if necessary).
- Remove from the heat and transfer the contents to a food processor. Blend till smooth and creamy {similar to the texture of mashed potatoes}. Season with cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Pulse food processor to blend.
- To finish the pie filling, remove the bay leaf and add the shredded chicken, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to blend and pour into a pie dish.
- Spoon the cauliflower topping over the filling and spread into an even layer using the back of a spoon to smooth.
- Dot the top of the pie with the 1 tablespoon of diced unsalted butter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden-brown.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sargento. The opinions and text are all mine.
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