Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you put garlic in cauliflower cheese (when served with a roast)

62 replies

Calgarycat · 12/12/2025 11:08

Just that. Caved in and doing a brocolli and cauliflower cheese for my new BIL. We normally do not do anything creamy. Just seen a few people on TikTok say things like “you ruined it with the garlic”. Guessing it’s too overpowering for a roast?

Do you add garlic when you do it?

(boring question I know!). I would add it if I was doing it as a stand alone dish with salad.

OP posts:
awrbc81 · 12/12/2025 12:20

Definitely no garlic (I do like garlic just not in cauliflower cheese!)
I do add a bit of mustard in the cheese sauce

propercoppercoffeepot · 12/12/2025 12:19

I'm a paprika kind of cauliflower cheese person!

Faceonthewrongfoot · 12/12/2025 12:18

TruffleShuffles · 12/12/2025 12:03

Genuinely curious, do the people who have an issue with the gravy touching the cheese sauce also not have bread sauce with their Christmas dinner or is it that ok?

Even just the idea of bread sauce makes me dry heave a bit. I want gravy and a bit of cranberry only as my 'moist'.

Run30 · 12/12/2025 12:17

Absolutely no garlic anywhere near anything when I’m making a roast.

bridgetreilly · 12/12/2025 12:17

No.

dontmalbeconme · 12/12/2025 12:17

I don't, because it's never occured to me to. But now I might, because garlic is good!

I do always put garlic in creamed leeks when I serve that with a roast. Quite a lot of garlic, as it happens.

TootsMaHoots · 12/12/2025 12:16

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 12/12/2025 11:49

The gravy! EXACTLY!!!!

You are v tolerant OP, v tolerant.

Show quote history

We have all sorts of mad things with our Christmas dinner because as people join the family, they bring their own traditions. Other people don’t have to eat them if they don’t want to.

Somersetbaker · 12/12/2025 12:12

TruffleShuffles · 12/12/2025 12:03

Genuinely curious, do the people who have an issue with the gravy touching the cheese sauce also not have bread sauce with their Christmas dinner or is it that ok?

I have beef so no bread sauce and no cauliflower cheese. In principle it's the combination of roast meat and cheese that's the problem, and don't get me started on having macaroni cheese with a roast.

Sweetleftfood · 12/12/2025 12:11

Cauliflower cheese is one of my absolute favourites, stems from my mums who cooked it quite regularly. A whole flower and she added lardons in the sauce. I would never put garlic in it but I would eat it with garlic in it. I personally don't think it's a dish that would improve with garlic but I don't think it's overly odd to add it.

Blueuggboots · 12/12/2025 12:11

Never add garlic to cauliflower cheese.

Renamed · 12/12/2025 12:09

NO

Leeks are good though (cooked very soft in the butter before you put the flour in)

thenightsky · 12/12/2025 12:08

I've never put cauliflower cheese onto a roast dinner, but I'm thinking about it this Xmas. My dilemma is the gravy issue. Would it be ok to keep the CC to one side of the plate, meat on the other side, then veg/tatties down the middle to keep them separate? Like a veg version of the Pennines, separating Yorkshire and Lancashire. Grin

Natsku · 12/12/2025 12:07

I add garlic to everything so yes, I would add it to cauliflower cheese.

DancingFerret · 12/12/2025 12:05

TruffleShuffles · 12/12/2025 12:03

Genuinely curious, do the people who have an issue with the gravy touching the cheese sauce also not have bread sauce with their Christmas dinner or is it that ok?

None of that bothers me, but I can't cope with tomatoes next to fried eggs.

TruffleShuffles · 12/12/2025 12:03

Genuinely curious, do the people who have an issue with the gravy touching the cheese sauce also not have bread sauce with their Christmas dinner or is it that ok?

DancingFerret · 12/12/2025 12:02

Somersetbaker · 12/12/2025 11:56

A few slivers, what are you on about, lamb needs loads of garlic.Any body else remember "poulet aux quarante gousses d'ail", the great Provencal classic with 40 cloves of garlic, begone with your slivers. And yes cauliflower cheese with a roast is the work of the devil, cheese sauce and gravy should never be on the same plate.

Show quote history

😂😂😂

Somersetbaker · 12/12/2025 11:56

DancingFerret · 12/12/2025 11:30

Can't beat medium roast lamb with a few slivers of garlic pushed into it.😋

But IMO cauliflower cheese and garlic aren't happy bedfellows.

Show quote history

A few slivers, what are you on about, lamb needs loads of garlic.Any body else remember "poulet aux quarante gousses d'ail", the great Provencal classic with 40 cloves of garlic, begone with your slivers. And yes cauliflower cheese with a roast is the work of the devil, cheese sauce and gravy should never be on the same plate.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 12/12/2025 11:49

Idontjetwashthefucker · 12/12/2025 11:25

I don't like cauliflower cheese on a roast, what if it mixes with the gravy? The horror!

Certainly wouldn't have garlic anywhere near a roast either and I love garlic

Edited

The gravy! EXACTLY!!!!

You are v tolerant OP, v tolerant.

RinklyRomaine · 12/12/2025 11:48

No, it doesn’t go. Garlic up the turkey, ofc, but Dijon and nutmeg in the cauli cheese only. I also chuck half a tub of crème fraiche in the sauce which I think was a Delia tip originally. Never any leftovers.

Idontjetwashthefucker · 12/12/2025 11:35

DancingFerret · 12/12/2025 11:30

Can't beat medium roast lamb with a few slivers of garlic pushed into it.😋

But IMO cauliflower cheese and garlic aren't happy bedfellows.

Show quote history

I love roast lamb with garlic but I wouldn't have it as a roast with gravy...with mash potato and buttered greens though, now you're talking

Bimblebombles · 12/12/2025 11:31

No thank you.
Loads of cheese, dijon mustard and paprika please.

DancingFerret · 12/12/2025 11:30

Idontjetwashthefucker · 12/12/2025 11:25

I don't like cauliflower cheese on a roast, what if it mixes with the gravy? The horror!

Certainly wouldn't have garlic anywhere near a roast either and I love garlic

Edited

Can't beat medium roast lamb with a few slivers of garlic pushed into it.😋

But IMO cauliflower cheese and garlic aren't happy bedfellows.

NewGuide · 12/12/2025 11:28

Absolutely no need for garlic. It would absolutely ruin it for me.

TruffleShuffles · 12/12/2025 11:26

I think cauliflower cheese is probably the only thing I don’t add garlic to. I add mustard and nutmeg to my cheese sauce for cauliflower cheese and save the garlic for my creamed spinach.

Posithor · 12/12/2025 11:25

It was more getting everything out on time on Christmas day if you're doing a lot of other things - but perhaps you're more versed in the art of cheese sauce making for me itd just be an unnecessary chore - but then I'm sure you're BIL is more likely to appreciate the effort than my 4yo 🤣