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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:
LakieLady · 28/10/2025 12:34

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

I've never lived north of the Thames, but cauliflower cheese was a fairly regular dinner for my family, especially near the end of the month when money was tight.

I especially like it with a jacket potato.

InterestedDad37 · 28/10/2025 12:31

Can very much be a main dish - I like to sprinkle chilli flakes on mine 😃

gallivantsaregood · 28/10/2025 12:30

You can eat what you want in whatever way you want. If you and your husband enjoy it, great!

Personally I've never had it as a main meal, always as a side. I'm in Scotland

Needlenardlenoo · 28/10/2025 12:26

If it hasn't got sufficient protein in, you're not using enough cheese!

rhubarbsigh · 28/10/2025 12:25

I eat it as a main, maybe with a side of green beans but I am a veggie, my DH will usually have a bit of fish with it.

oldwhyno · 28/10/2025 12:21

Either works for me.

coxesorangepippin · 28/10/2025 12:10

I wouldn't consider it a meal

It needs some sausages or something

Justcallmedaffodil · 28/10/2025 11:27

Always a side dish in our house. I feel it’s important for a main meal to be balanced and there’s not enough protein, or more importantly fibre, for it to be a main meal on its own.

HelloCharming · 28/10/2025 11:23

I'm in my 50s and my mum always made it as a main dish for dinner (tea) - I was pleasantly surprised when I realised it could also be a side dish. Though have to admit the first time I saw that I think I remember it was a bit like someone had offered me lasagna as a side dish...

I don't make it now as DH won't eat it - and I'm not that fussed about it that I'd make it for myself.

LillyPJ · 28/10/2025 11:18

scrivette · 28/10/2025 10:50

We used to have it as a main as a child with sausages.

If it's with sausages, it's a side dish! I think cauliflower cheese is a main dish and doesn't have to have extra meat or protein.

Squirrelblanket · 28/10/2025 11:18

I have it as a side but I wouldn't be annoyed if it was served as a main. Generally I do like it with something else though as it compliments so many other things well!

scrivette · 28/10/2025 10:50

We used to have it as a main as a child with sausages.

bellocchild · 28/10/2025 10:44

It's fine as a main, but a slice of good ham goes rather well.

winterbluess · 28/10/2025 10:41

I think it's supposed to be a side dish, but I'd more than happily just eat a large portion on its own 😃

chattyness · 28/10/2025 10:29

HeddaGarbled · 28/10/2025 09:19

All of you saying it’s a main meal but then saying “with bacon” etc 😃

If you need to have it with meat or eggs or whatever to it, it’s not a main, is it?

That depends on portion sizes doesn't it. If you have a huge portion of cauli cheese as we often do, that's the main feature on the plate or dish & j add a couple of rashers of bacon on the side. Or if the bacon is nicely crisped up broken into bits and sprinkled over the top, it then becomes the garnish.
If you're having a larger portion of meat & other veg then it 's smaller side portion.

80smonster · 28/10/2025 10:25

Pop it over a baked potato, add more cheese, that my friend is definitely a main meal. I'm vegetarian though.

Uricon2 · 28/10/2025 10:12

60s, had it as a main dish as a child and we're actually having it tonight as one!

I know people seem to love it but I really don't 'get' it as a side with a roast. Ham, fish yes but for me, cheese sauce and gravy is not a happy combination. See also dauphinoise (and I love it) accompanying anything with gravy but each to their own!

Bjorkdidit · 28/10/2025 09:35

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.

I'm going to try this. I'm on a bit of a 'use up all the food that's been hanging round in the freezer for too long' crusade and I know there's some cheese sauce in there somewhere - I'm terrible at judging the amount needed for macaroni and/or cauliflower cheese - we often have a mixture, depending on what we have in and what needs using up.

Pasta, leftover cooked veg, tomatoes, bacon bits, whatever, covered in cheese sauce and baked.

But I've now decided that when I come to use up the cheese sauce, I'm going to take the sourdough, ciabatta or whatever and make it into garlic bread and bake it in the oven so it goes all crispy cheesy. Yum.

Coffeeishot · 28/10/2025 09:34

Fandango52 · 28/10/2025 09:24

Ah I see! God that sounds so delicious. I’m planning to make cauliflower cheese as a side for Christmas dinner, so might try adding the sourdough 😍

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I have it boxing day with ham and roast potatoes, you are welcome.

Somersetbaker · 28/10/2025 09:33

Make it with mature cheddar and gorgonzola/stilton, some chopped walnuts mixed in, breadcrumbs on the top, baked until golden and bubbling, serve with green salad and crusty bread. What more could you want. Just keep it away from a roast with gravy, maybe a small portion with gammon and new potatoes. Cheese sauce mixed with gravy is unforgivable.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 28/10/2025 09:33

I'm a meat eater but would happily eat cauliflower cheese as a main, just as it is, made with maybe two types of cheese.

Delicious if I'm in the mood for something high fat, filling but undemanding.

insomniacalways · 28/10/2025 09:27

This is probaly why since my ex left - I've lost 3 stone. Cos the girls and I don't have to have a hunk of meat with every meal. Love Cauliflower Cheese - it was a real treat to have it in the 80s as well.

Penfoldfive · 28/10/2025 09:26

I do half and half with macaroni.

It's not filling enough on its own and don't like having bread for tea as I usually have a sandwich for lunch.

Fandango52 · 28/10/2025 09:24

FaitesVosJeux · 28/10/2025 06:41

I just slice it into triangles and arrange around the side of the dish making sure at least half is dunked in the cheese sauce 😊

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Ah I see! God that sounds so delicious. I’m planning to make cauliflower cheese as a side for Christmas dinner, so might try adding the sourdough 😍

PutYourSpecsOnJean · 28/10/2025 09:24

Horses7 · 28/10/2025 01:02

It’s a side - ever seen it as a main in a restaurant or cafe?

Yes, in fact that was how I first came across cauliflower cheese, when my dad ordered it in a hotel restaurant when I was about 10. We didn't tend to have cheese-based dishes at home as some in our family didn’t like cheese so I'd never heard of it before. My dad loves it however and would always order this if it turned up on a menu at a pub etc.
I only encountered it as a side when I went to university and it turned up regularly to accompany gammon.