GOLDEN CHICKEN AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE CAKES
One family recipe. The perfect way to reinvent your roast dinner leftovers.
This is one of those recipes that feels far more indulgent than the effort it takes. Tender roast chicken, creamy cauliflower cheese and a crisp golden coating come together to make delicious little cakes that everyone will happily tuck into.
They're perfect for Tiny Feasters, brilliant for lunchboxes, ideal for batch cooking and a fantastic way to use up leftover roast chicken and cauliflower cheese after a Sunday roast.
Makes: Approximately 8 baby cakes and 6 adult cakes.
IngredientS
Cauliflower
1 whole cauliflower, trimmed and finely chopped (I trim away the florets and finely chop the remaining cauliflower too so nothing goes to waste.)
White Sauce
75g unsalted butter
70g plain flour
335ml milk (any milk of your choice)
Baby Cheese Sauce
55g mild cheddar
Adult Cheese Sauce
100g strong cheddar
1 large teaspoon English mustard
Filling
215g cooked chicken thighs, finely chopped
To Coat
Flour
Egg
Fine breadcrumbs
To Cook
A little oil for frying (if pan frying)
Method
1. Cook the cauliflower
Steam the finely chopped cauliflower until it is beautifully tender but not mushy. Drain well and leave to cool slightly.
2. Make the white sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute before gradually whisking in the milk until you have a smooth, thick white sauce.
3. Create the two versions
Divide the white sauce equally between two saucepans.
For the Tiny Feaster version, stir in the mild cheddar until melted.
For the adult version, add the strong cheddar and English mustard, stirring until smooth.
4. Add the filling
Divide the chopped chicken equally between both cheese sauces.
Next, divide the cooked cauliflower equally between each pan and stir everything together until evenly combined.
5. Chill
Transfer both mixtures to the fridge and chill until completely firm. Overnight is ideal, as this makes shaping much easier.
6. Shape the cakes
Once chilled, shape the mixtures into patties.
Approximately 8 smaller cakes for Tiny Feasters.
Approximately 6 larger cakes for adults.
7. Coat
Prepare three bowls:
Flour
Beaten egg
Fine breadcrumbs
Coat each cake in flour, then egg and finally breadcrumbs.
Once coated, gently reshape each cake before returning them to the fridge for a final chill.
8. Cook
Cook either by:
Pan frying in a little oil until crisp and golden on both sides, or
Air frying until beautifully golden and heated all the way through.
Serving Suggestions
For Tiny Feasters, these are delicious served with roughly crushed peas.
For adults, they're fantastic on their own or tucked inside a burger bun for an indulgent crispy chicken burger.
This recipe is one of our favourite ways to reinvent leftovers. If you've cooked a family roast and have leftover cauliflower cheese and chicken, you're already halfway there.
These cakes freeze beautifully, so make a double batch and keep them ready for those busy days. They can even be cooked straight from frozen, making them a brilliant freezer staple for the whole family
