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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:
BeeCucumber · 27/10/2025 22:16

It can be both. Main meal with crusty bread or as a side with a roast. I usually make mine with cauliflower and leeks - with a pound of mousetrap cheddar in the sauce and the same amount of grated cheddar on the top.

Okiedokie123 · 27/10/2025 22:16

We have that as a main....... but not just cauliflower and cheese. We add spinach, peas, broccoli, cabbage (whatever else happens to be available) butter beans and pasta.

SeriousTissues · 27/10/2025 22:15

Side dish!

rhubarblover · 27/10/2025 22:14

I had it tonight as a main dish with crusty bread. I sometimes have it with ham. I love it and regularly eat it as a main dish.

LizzyEm · 27/10/2025 22:14

I didn't grow up with it and I don't think it belongs on a roast either. Cheese sauce isn't for pouring gravy on imo. But my husband likes it so we have it occasionally. We only ever have it with a roast dinner or as a side for something else.

TiredofLDN · 27/10/2025 22:13

It’s a side dish. Unless you put bacon or baked ham in it. Then it can be a main.

Bladderpool · 27/10/2025 22:13

It’s a side, I would be seriously disappointed if someone gave me that for my dinner, it falls into the category of “shit tea”.

B0D · 27/10/2025 22:13

I’m in my 50’s too and we grew up having this as a main dish too. I think we had potatoes with it. We lived in the SE but family from the north so I’d guess it wasn’t a regional thing

randomchap · 27/10/2025 22:13

Main dinner or side, both cheesy goodness

FullLondonEye · 27/10/2025 22:12

Cauliflower cheese is definitely a side dish. I love it so tend to make loads of it so that I can have a full plate of the leftovers as a meal the next day, but in my heart of hearts I know this is wrong and I shouldn’t be mis-using the cauliflower cheese in this way. Fortunately my husband loves me a lot and can accept these kinds of transgressions.

THISbitchingwitch · 27/10/2025 22:12

I will happily have it as a main or a side HOWEVER there must never be gravy anywhere near it

GameOfJones · 27/10/2025 22:12

I have never had it as a main dish but I absolutely love it so I wouldn't be upset about it 🤣.

NinaGeiger · 27/10/2025 22:11

We had it as a main dinner. To the point where the first time I saw cauli cheese served with a roast, I thought it was weird they'd cooked a completely different dinner to go on the side

FaitesVosJeux · 27/10/2025 22:11

Always a main dish here - baked with triangles of sourdough round the edges which go all half cheesy half toasty. Food of the Gods.

ScrambledEggs12 · 27/10/2025 22:11

I did have it the other week as a main meal - I'd frozen it after a Sunday roast, and fancied it.

But it's not something I would normally consider as a main meal.