GRITS Who Don't Like Pies, Pie

Ah...the southern pie. My favorite movie on the subject? Waitress. The movie offers up a pie recipe for practically any occasion.
A new romance?
Falling in love pie

New Baby?
Baby screaming in the middle of the night and ruining my life pie

Feeling guilty over infidelity issues?
Earl murders me because I have an affair pie

Need to solve the problems of the world?
Strawberry chocolate pie

I could add a few pies of my own of late, I bet you could too.
Dropped the gong and it's gonna cost me another 90 bucks to replace it pie 
Wish I were a better plumber pie
Think I'll eat a banana split instead of dinner pie

Thing about pies with me is, I'm not particularly fond of flour crusts or fruit that's been boiled to death, which is a real conundrum being a southerner and all, as most pies consist of both, and everyone just expects that you do. What do GRITS (girl raised in the south) who don't like pies do to fit in? Well, for one, as with this recipe, put up a false front. Any southerner worth his or her salt knows how to do this, and well.

Trade secret? This ain't really a pie, it's a casserole dressed up to look like a pie. If you want a pie for dessert, my advice is rent Waitress. You'll have more pie recipes than you can throw a crust at.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cauliflower Cheese Pie
Stuff you need:
- 2 russet potatoes
- one head of cauliflower
- 1/2 cp bread crumbs (I use arrowhead mills organic savory herb stuffing, and blend it.)
- one onion
- oil, canola or olive
- three cloves of garlic
- one egg
- 1/4 cup of milk
- blend of white or cheddar cheese,  romano, and asiago 1 to 2 cups grated
- salt and pepper

Assemble
In your favorite pie dish (I use a blue and white ceramic one) pour in enough oil to coat bottom of the dish, and place in a preheated oven until oil is hot.

Meanwhile:
Peel, rinse and grate two russet potatoes. Rinse grated potatoes in cold water to rid them of excess starch, and pat dry with paper towels. Take pie dish out of oven when oil is hot, and form the grated potatoes around the bottom and sides to look like a crust. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

While potato crust is baking in oven-
Dice onion and garlic and saute--medium heat--on the stove in a bit of oil. Rinse and cut cauliflower into small florets and add to them to the onions and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until cauliflower is al dente, cooked but still firm (not soggy!).

Remove potato crust from oven when brown and crisp, and arrange sauteed cauliflower, onion, and garlic on top.
In a small bowl, whip the egg and 1/4 cup of milk together until well blended. Pour overtop the sauteed vegies you just put in the potato crust. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese, one to two cups depending on the size of your pie dish, and bread crumbs--reserve a little cheese mix for the top.

Bling
Bling
- add one large heirloom or red tomato, slice in seven or eight sections, and  arrange on top of casserole.

Bake
In a 375 degree oven, bake for 45 minutes total; covered for twenty minutes, and then uncovered 'til done.


Mmmmm....Now that's good eatin'!