The Cauliflower Cheese Conundrum

[Speckly]

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.

Growing up, it was a side dish.

but now, especially if it uses good cheese and a dollop of mustard, the cauliflower itself is not overcooked and mushy, and especially with proper crusty bread (or potentially, a top cover of garlicky crispy breadcrumbs that are finished inthe oven), I love it as a meal on its own.

It really does depend on the calibre of your cauliflower cheese.

If its literally some watery cauli in a white sauce with a hint of cheese - thats a side and a shite one at that.

If its packed with cauli, perhaps some spud and onion too, its got tons of cheese, maybe some bacon bits in there, some wholegrain mustard, or paprika flavouring the sauce..

Then yes, cauli cheese that is a king of side dishes and a smashing main with some toast or garlic bread etc n the side.

Loads of fibre though! And vitamins! And you can give the leaves to your guinea pigs!

I love cauliflower cheese but I’ve never heard of it being used as a main. I think it’s a bloody brilliant idea though. Will defo try it.

Definitely wouldn't want it with meat. It already has loads of protein (and fat). I prefer it as a main meal, probably with some in-their-skins boiled potatoes.

And the thought of it with a roast 🤮🤮🤮🤮. Too many clashing flavours.

It's fine as a main.

Same with maccaroni. That used to be a full meal, now it's a side. ???

I used to eat it with leeks bacon bits and bake it with bead crumbs and have it for dinner, dh would have it as a side dish, although id havr it as a veg too, i can't eat it any more it gives me stomach ache, it makes me sad I love it.

It’s just a veg side with cheese on to add seasoning. Same as you wouldn’t have a bowl of broccoli as your main.

Bit shocked at the food ignorance on here, but then I see it on lots of threads so its a shame.

It's a main with chips

side dish here but would be totally open to having it as a main. But I think I would need to have something green with it ... not sure what would work.

Food of the Gods but definitely a side dish-
However, a heavy lifting one - eg a bit piece of Gammon in the Slow cooker with a huge portion of homemade Cauliflower cheese on the side where the meat is almost the garnish !

On a roast with gravy (not touching or poured over of course) and cranberry sauce with white white pepper is almost tear inducingly delicious.

That said, 2 x M&S ready prepared portions -cooked in the oven not microwave on their own for me when DH away and no kids lurking is bliss!

We would have it as a side with a roast dinner, but we also had it as a main meal, towards the end of the month, when money was tight.

I usually hate ready made sides, but M&S’ version is fantastic.

It’s usually a side dish, although sometimes I make it with pasta mixed in as a cauliflower cheese pasta bake as a main meal so I guess that’s the same as serving cauliflower cheese and bread as a main meal!

My mum would serve it as a main meal but we were poor and often had basic stuff like that. I like it with ham and roast cherry tomatoes.

I made cauliflower macaroni cheese tonight and it was most definitely a main dish. It had leeks as well as cauliflower, with Dijon mustard and nutmeg in the sauce - it was delicious.

I usually do it as a side these days but grew up with it as a main meal. Always cooked whole and cut up only when served. Usually served with baked beans. Sometimes with crispy bacon.

Main dish for me.. Sometimes I would have a jacket potato with it, crispy from the oven, or sometimes with crusty bread, or garlic bread!

I can’t stand it so would be very disappointed if it was my main meal

Cheese is a high protein food (also high in fat) so depending how much you serve, it can be a main dish.

You can serve it as a side, if you want.

Definitely main meal in our house, with nice bread. One of my favourites.

We're vegetarian. We have cauli cheese with roast potatoes and some sliced tomatoes. Plus a bit of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

(When I look at American recipes, I often notice they consider cheese to be a condiment).

We have it as both - sometimes a side dish with a roast, sometimes as a main meal. If having as a main meal I often make a broccoli and cauliflower cheese and top it with streaky bacon and serve with lots of crusty bread/French stick/ciabatta to dunk in the sauce.