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Original poster

The Cauliflower Cheese Conundrum

390 replies

Speckly · 27/10/2025 22:09

Earlier a friend I was out with asked me what we were having for dinner tonight. When I replied “Cauliflower cheese and crusty bread”, she said “With what?” When I told her that was our dinner she looked horrified and told me cauliflower cheese is a side dish. As kids we often had cauliflower cheese for our dinner (I’m early 50s) but I’m interested to know, is that weird? Husband and I usually have this as a main about once a month (not vegetarian btw). When I asked DH his views on the subject tonight, he said he enjoys it but that his family never really had it when he was young so he couldn’t comment. If it’s relevant at all, we live in Kent. So is it ok to eat cauliflower cheese as a main or should it only ever be served as a side dish?

YABU - Cauliflower cheese is a side dish. You need to jazz it up with some other stuff!

YANBU - Cauliflower cheese is a decent main course - ignore the haters.

OP posts:
SwimmingPoolWater · 27/10/2025 23:06

Definitely not a main meal in my opinion. However, your house, your rules so don’t be dictated to by other people. If you like it then crack on 🤷‍♀️

Lovesabadboy · 27/10/2025 23:06

Similar to you...I am in my 50's and it was served as a main course when I lived at home.

When, as a teenager, I decided I wanted to become vegetarian, my mum was dead set against it ('You will die without meat' mentality) she served me cauliflower cheese every day for 2 weeks to try to discourage me!
I still don't eat meat 35 years later, but I have never made cauliflower cheese in all those years as it put me right off!!

Screamingabdabz · 27/10/2025 23:05

I’m a strict lifelong veggie but nope, it’s a side.

Tarkan · 27/10/2025 23:05

I love it as a main but it’s great as a side too, just without gravy touching it. If we have it as a side to a roast I’ll only take a tiny bit of meat but totally load my plate up with cauliflower cheese.

When I make it for myself as a main I love shredding the leaves and wilting them in a bit of butter to add into the sauce but I love leafy greens of all kinds anyway and I hate seeing them being thrown away when they’re lovely to add in for extra flavour and texture.

WagnersFourthSymphony · 27/10/2025 23:05

manineed · 27/10/2025 23:00

my mum used to always do jacket potato, cauliflower cheese and peas as a meal.

I love it but I read an article by a pathologist that put me off it!

What did the pathologist say?
😮

ChewbaccasMrs · 27/10/2025 23:04

I eat it as both,we have it with some roast dinners and I'll eat it on it's own it's gorgeous.

oviraptor21 · 27/10/2025 23:01

I grew up with it as a main. Delicious dish in it's own right. Not to be set in competition with meat.

AmIthatSpringy · 27/10/2025 23:01

Always a main dish growing up. I was amazed when I heard people use it as an accompaniment to roast beef.

BiddyPopthe2nd · 27/10/2025 23:00

I should have added that I also like it as a side to roast chicken or roast lamb.

maudelovesharold · 27/10/2025 23:00

It’s perfectly fine as a main course if you’re happy with it! I often do a combined cauliflower/macaroni cheese (with added mushroom) and serve with crusty bread!

Anonomoso · 27/10/2025 23:00

We're not vegetarian and have this as a main regularly, serve it with mashed potatoes and carrots.
I've never done it as a side dish.

manineed · 27/10/2025 23:00

my mum used to always do jacket potato, cauliflower cheese and peas as a meal.

I love it but I read an article by a pathologist that put me off it!

WagnersFourthSymphony · 27/10/2025 22:59

YADNBU
We have it often, admittedly just the two of us.
It's a great main dish if the cheese sauce is good, and some poached eggs too if the cauli is small and you're hungry.
Add tomatoes when it's under the grill, and lardons if you're carnivorous.

Clementine183 · 27/10/2025 22:59

I'm all for it as a main. Sometimes I have it with bacon but I think of the bacon as being on the side. Sometimes, perhaps controversially, I have it with sweetcorn. Sometimes I make it from scratch, other times I get the ready-made M&S version. Sometimes I even have it on the side with a roast, though generally when someone else has cooked it for me as it feels like a faff to make just as a side to me. So many ways, so little time 😅I grew up in Kent too so maybe there is a regional lens here. Am now bringing the joys of cauliflower cheese to London.

Mondaytuesdayhappydays · 27/10/2025 22:59

BoredZelda · 27/10/2025 22:45

I usually hate ready made sides, but M&S’ version is fantastic.

Show quote history

Sing it sister…
Their Cauli cheese is better than my nans and mine which I take very seriously.

(Their spiced braised red cabbage is too tbf- but only if you pimp it in a pan with salt, black and white pepper and a dash more stock or water then let is reduce off a bit )

xx

Endofyear · 27/10/2025 22:58

We have it as both - sometimes a side dish with a roast, sometimes as a main meal. If having as a main meal I often make a broccoli and cauliflower cheese and top it with streaky bacon and serve with lots of crusty bread/French stick/ciabatta to dunk in the sauce.

PigletJohn · 27/10/2025 22:57

(When I look at American recipes, I often notice they consider cheese to be a condiment).

CoubousAndTourmaIet · 27/10/2025 22:57

We're vegetarian. We have cauli cheese with roast potatoes and some sliced tomatoes. Plus a bit of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Clawdy · 27/10/2025 22:56

Definitely main meal in our house, with nice bread. One of my favourites.

PigletJohn · 27/10/2025 22:54

Cheese is a high protein food (also high in fat) so depending how much you serve, it can be a main dish.

You can serve it as a side, if you want.

sittingonabeach · 27/10/2025 22:51

I can’t stand it so would be very disappointed if it was my main meal

morbidcuriosity · 27/10/2025 22:51

Main dish for me.. Sometimes I would have a jacket potato with it, crispy from the oven, or sometimes with crusty bread, or garlic bread!

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 27/10/2025 22:49

I usually do it as a side these days but grew up with it as a main meal. Always cooked whole and cut up only when served. Usually served with baked beans. Sometimes with crispy bacon.

Pleasedontdothat · 27/10/2025 22:49

I made cauliflower macaroni cheese tonight and it was most definitely a main dish. It had leeks as well as cauliflower, with Dijon mustard and nutmeg in the sauce - it was delicious.

HeddaGarbled · 27/10/2025 22:48

My mum would serve it as a main meal but we were poor and often had basic stuff like that. I like it with ham and roast cherry tomatoes.