Cauliflower cheese

[CauliflowerCheeseMeal]

DD (aged 7) wanted just a bowl of cauliflower cheese for tea tonight. She’s had sausage, mash and peas at school for lunch so has a lighter evening meal. I offered sandwiches, crumpets, crackers and beans with toast/bread she insisted she wanted the left over cauliflower cheese from yesterdays roast dinner.

It feels weird to me to have that for tea, but I think I might be UR? She had it warm (microwave). It was basically cauliflower in a cheddar cheese sauce topped with mozzarella and breadcrumbs – I made the sauce myself so know there’s nothing bad in it.

She’s eaten the lot. But I still feel weird about it. Tell me I’m UR and overthinking it

This is my face dinner but unfortunately I can no longer tolerate cauliflower. It is absolutely a meal though!

My mil makes the most AMAZING cauliflower cheese. A big bowl of that with some crusty whole meal buttered bread, is probably my favourite comfort food.

@Anonymous48

Why on earth would you think there was anything wrong with it as a meal? Is it just because it doesn't contain any meat?

Is there a reason she's eating leftovers for her tea? Don't you eat as a family?

@Anonymous48 it's just me and her at home, we eat together on the weekends she's here but she prefers a lighter evening meal and her main meal at lunchtime so has school dinners. She often doesn't eat all her school dinner and says it's too much food. She's a healthy weight and height so I don't think I'm underfeeding her.

It was always a meal with bread and butter in my family growing up. It's not exactly low calorie lol.

I offered sandwiches, crumpets, crackers and beans with toast/bread she insisted she wanted the left over cauliflower cheese from yesterdays roast dinner.

It feels weird to me to have that for tea,

Why did it feel weird? Cauliflower cheese is a meal, unlike the others.

It's a perfectly ordinary meal, nothing weird about it.

@CauliflowerCheeseMeal

My concern wasn't anything to do with underfeeding her. It was that she wasn't eating the same meal as everyone else in the house. Did you eat together at least?

Cauliflower cheese is a fairly standard dinner in our house. Crumpets, crackers, sandwiches and beans on toast aren't things I would make for an evening meal as a general rule - only if people were rushing around between work/school/evening activities and needed a quick or portable meal.

[quote Anonymous48]@CauliflowerCheeseMeal

My concern wasn't anything to do with underfeeding her. It was that she wasn't eating the same meal as everyone else in the house. Did you eat together at least?[/quote]
I usually have a sandwich or something at the same time yes and have my main once she's in bed.

Cauliflower cheese is great, a favourite
(It's the cheese sauce really cauliflower is pretty bland)
Macaroni cheese with some toast is also a nice light meal/snack

It's difficult to fault a meal with cheese sauce!

It's a wonderful meal.

It's not even particularly light (all that cheese!)

Its fine as a mess, DS and I had similar last week. I'd made the Ottolenghi cauliflower cheese pie as a side one evening and DS requested the leftovers for dinner the following night so I served it with peas. As an aside if you like cauliflower cheese do try that recipe its delicious, a molten pool of lightly spiced cauli cheese in crispy filo 😋

As a Meal!

Cauliflower = veg
Cheese sauce = protein and calcium
Breadcrumbs = carbohydrate

Pretty balanced meal. With some peas and carrots on the side it would be perfectly balanced. Or some fruit afterwards.

YABU

it's a meal

the end

Ooo! I fancy cauliflower cheese now.

Yabu, and over thinking it.
Cauliflower cheese is fine and delicious as a meal in itself.

As an aside if you like cauliflower cheese do try that recipe its delicious, a molten pool of lightly spiced cauli cheese in crispy filo

Sounds divine

That meal is absolutely fine, I have it myself regularly and have not really had anything with it most of the time. To me it is a meal in its own right.

I make cauliflower cheese for a main meal, adding some sautéed bacon and mushrooms. Yummy.
My DD would eat cold pizza for breakfast.

The only reason we don't have cauliflower cheese as a full-on proper meal is the high fat content. But it's definitely a meal and perfect in a moderate portion as a less substantial meal after a main meal at lunch.

YANBU, cauliflower cheese, or cauliflower and broccoli cheese is one of my favourites, in fact I want it for tea today but have already sorted tea. The more mature the cheese the better, yum, and the best thing is none of mine really go for it so it's generally all mine.

I love cauliflower cheese, especially with chips 😋

Morning favourite. You will be grateful one day that she is happy to eat leftovers.

Personally I think it's weirder that you serve cauliflower cheese on a roast dinner but I know that I seem to ge in the minority on mumsnet!
Nothing wrong with cauliflower cheese as a meal - although I usually put a bit of bacon with it when I cook it.