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.

I don't make it very often but when I do, I make enough so that we have it as a side dish with a roast and then a main course for my lunch the next day. I bloody love cauliflower cheese!

And roasted cauliflower and cauliflower tempura and cauliflower rice with cilantro and lime and....the cauliflower is the BEST vegetable!

Fine as a main but I feel like it needs a bit more than just bread.

Side dish definitely. Have it either with fish or any meat.

For me i have it as a main, maybe with a couple of chicken tenders or more often a handful of chips and whatever other veg is being cooked for the rest of the family (it's what I have on days when we all have something different). But my partner and boys would definately see it as a side

We have it as a main. Florets and spring onions in the cheese sauce with sliced potato topping - grated Parmesan on top of the potatoes.

Either/or for me. Might add crumbled bacon if having it as a main meal to make it more "dinnery".

Age 50. Always a main dish growing up. I was bewildered seeing it on a roast much later in life. Always served with potatoes (probably boiled) and veg (definitely boiled). Was one of my least favourite teas but now I do like it and serve it with baked potatoes and butter beans to groans from my kids.

I definitely think of it as a side - would class it in the same category as something like mashed potatoes. Not a main dish. I would be surprised to have it as a main, but wouldn't be in tears over it or anything

Main for me. Breadcrumbs and grated cheese on top, cook until crispy.

Have only ever had it as a side dish. With roast for example.

Main dish with steamed green beans on the side. Delish! I also count soup or cereal as a decent supper though….. so…

Main course for me but I’m a vegetarian. I like it with roast potatoes.

Main dish. Too much faff to do as a side unless pushing the boat out.

Nice with bacon and onion added. Had it as a main dish when single. Family are opposed to it as a meal, but I love it

To me it's always been a side dish, but cauliflower is getting popular as a main on its own with dishes like roast cauliflower and sweet and sour cauliflower. I see it is even being grated and used as a substitute for rice now for those wanting less starch in their diets. Each to their own I suppose. I doubt I would serve it as a main to guests though, unless they were vegetarians.

I don’t really understand the issue, if you plate up a small portion of any food it can be a side dish. If you plate up a large portion, the same type of food can become a main meal.

Either as a side dish or as a main, I do both.

Either as a side dish or as a main, I do both.

If I do it as a main I might add some bacon to it.

I do it as a main with leeks and bacon. Its very filling!

Exactly. But who's to say that food eaten in the evening is the 'main meal'? The OP hasn't said anything about what else they've eaten that day.

As long as you're having enough food to not be hungry, you enjoy what you eat and your overall diet (not necessarily any individual meal) is balanced and healthy than what does it matter?

The OP and her DH are happy with their regular cauliflower cheese dinner, which sounds absolutely fine to me. It contains all the food groups including multiple veg portions so what's the issue?

Although I see we have the predictable protein obsessives who can't see past protein = meat and its telling that the vote is split 48% YANBU vs 52% YABU, so it seems that again a slight edge for the limited imagination, restricted thinking majority who can't see past their own prejudices to view the situation rationally. Now where have we seen that before?

It's fine to have as a main dinner, but I would put some other veg with it. I have been known to add chickpeas for a bit more protein <parp>.

I have always eaten it as a side, but you’ve given me an idea so now I’m going to start having this as a main! :)

I usually have it as a side dish but have had a whole cauliflower cheese as a main with jacket potatoes and some salad.

It's always nice as is cauliflower and broccoli cheese - the only way I eat broccoli is in cheese sauce (apart from in soup). The purple sprouting kind is particularly good.

Side dish. It's not a well rounded meal, no protein. It's just cauliflower.