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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:
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.

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.

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

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 🤣.

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

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.

randomchap · 27/10/2025 22:13

Main dinner or side, both cheesy goodness

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

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”.

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.

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.

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.

SeriousTissues · 27/10/2025 22:15

Side dish!

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.

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.

Idontjetwashthefucker · 27/10/2025 22:16

Side dish but definitely not on a roast...cheese sauce & gravy 🤮

captainoctopus · 27/10/2025 22:17

Main dish in our house.

GoodVibesHere · 27/10/2025 22:17

It's lovely, but it's a side dish not a main meal! I'd compare it to eating coleslaw as a main meal.

ForTipsyFinch · 27/10/2025 22:17

I love it, but it’s a side for me.

FrodoBiggins · 27/10/2025 22:17

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.

Oh HELLO

BuffaloCauliflower · 27/10/2025 22:17

Never encountered it as a main dish but that sounds perfectly fine!

mamagogo1 · 27/10/2025 22:17

I like it with a roast, it contains little protein so I don’t think it’s a meal in its own right

TheKeatingFive · 27/10/2025 22:18

Could be either, but I love it with ham

soupyspoon · 27/10/2025 22:18

Well guess what OP and other people - there are no food rules saying what is or isnt a main meal or a side dish

Imagine that?

That you can eat something as a main meal and some one else might prefer a smaller portion of it as a side dish?

This sort of food snobbery does my head in and Ive posted about this in various threads where people will turn their noses up at egg on toast or beans on toast or soup for a meal and say its not good enough

What makes something a main meal? Primarily size

There is almost no difference what so ever between having macaroni cheese (carb, cheese) to having cauliflower cheese with bread (carb, cheese but added bonus the veg)

Beautiful dinner. Make sure you put mustard in the cheese sauce.

SmellsLikeTeenArmpit · 27/10/2025 22:20

mamagogo1 · 27/10/2025 22:17

I like it with a roast, it contains little protein so I don’t think it’s a meal in its own right

Cheese? Milk? Both fairly high protein, surely.

We're veggie, so for us it's a main meal but with roasties and other veg. Usually on a Sunday, followed by crumble and custard.

Might do it next Sunday actually now I'm thinking about it!

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