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

Give me your recipe!

One of the local pubs here does cauliflower cheese with a warm crusty roll on the side. Perfect winter evening grub. Delicious

I want cauliflower cheese now.

Honestly, its a far better, healthier offering that crackers or crumpets for dinner!

Out of the options you usually give, I'd only consider the beans on toast as acceptable for dinner for a child who hasn't eaten all of a small school lunch. I'd personally offer a full meal. But if you must give her a "light" meal, then there's far better, healthier options out there than crackers/crumpets/sandwiches. How about omelette with veg (and mash or wedges in our house!), jacket potato with cheese and beans with side salad, fish goujons with peas and tartare sauce, stirfry chicken and veg, pasta and pesto with peas and sweetcorn, chunky vegetable soup with cheese on toast etc.

I'm genuinely still trying to figure out exactly what it is that is making you uneasy about your seven year old eating leftover cauliflower cheese for dinner. Is it because you think she should be having only one hot meal a day for some reason? Is it because you think it's too calorific? Is it because it's leftovers? Is it because it's a 'proper meal' and you're accustomed to her just having a carby snack at dinner time? Perhaps her appetite is growing?

How delicious - I sometimes have that for tea !

I've just served up cauliflower cheese soup for dinner! Delicious.

@Hugoslavia cauliflower cheese soup?! Mind blowing do you just blend cauliflower cheese with other veg and stock? This sounds heavenly

I do a cooked hot dinner in the evening regardless of what they say they got at school. Two hot meals a day isn't wasteful or child abuse, I'd say it's best if you can offer it!

Portions are frequently stingy at school and time constraints mean they don't finish it. I wouldn't consider crackers or crumpets an evening dinner at all, ever. Is that what you have?

If she's not got a big appetite I suggest you totally give her what she wants when she's actually hungry.

I had leftover cauliflower cheese for my lunch. Should I now have crackers and crumpets for dinner? < concerned >

Definitely overthinking.
Dairy, veg, carb and protein. Sorted.

I bring the leftover to work on a Monday, just it in a tub. I've eaten it cold.

My mum makes me a plate of just cauliflower cheese and one spud when I visit because they're my favourite foods😂 Your DD is my spirit animal🤣

You say you have a light dinner too/sandwich etc but then have something else later. So she wouldn't normally? She's just hungry too. Have a decent evening meal together, she's growing up - that takes more energy.

@Hugoslavia there's a cauliflower cheese soup?? I need to know more 😊

I had the same for tea, with a little crispy bacon on top. It was lovely.

Lovely meal. We have it as a lighter main meal. Lots of veg, excellent.

I think it’s fine! Miles better than the other things you’ve listed.

I’d cook something healthy with veg included for both of you most nights in your situation, even if you eat yours later.

I love cauliflower cheese on toast for supper!

I don't really understand what your concerns are?

Why do you think crackers would be a better meal than cauliflower cheese?

Maybe I'm totally missing the point but I'm not sure what you're asking?

[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 hardly ever eat the same food as my daughter, quick! Phone social services!!

You name changed for this?

Cauliflower cheese, left over from the previous day or not, is an excellent meal for tea, or lunch, dinner and even supper.

I can’t stop thinking about cauliflower cheese now 🥰. I hope your girl enjoyed her tea OP!

My kids love cauliflower cheese for dinner! I find it weird as I only started liking it as an adult but I’m glad they do

I think maybe what they OP finds weird is daughter had hot school dinner and hot supper? She said something about two hot meals in a day being odd … sorry don’t agree!

As long as everyone else in the house isn't having lobster thermidor or beef Wellington with baked Alaska for pudding I don't see the problem.