What goes with cauliflower cheese?

[Splodges]

I want to make cauliflower cheese, but what else can I put on the plate? Am kind of making it already so quick answers would be nice!

I like it best with gammon and green beans.

I tried a different version recently - instead of 'normal' cheese I used half a tub of light cream cheese with garlic and herbs. And it was lovely! And no grating either.

I like it with a tomato salad - though if somebody gave me some homemade chips to dip in the cheese sauce I wouldn't say no.

We had it tonight, with sausages, homemade wedges and peas.

I love it with gammon.

And I like it best with a really strong cheddar in the sauce and on top and with extra leeks and chopped up crispy bacon. Mmm wanders off in search of leftovers

Baked potatoes and veggie sausages - meal of the Gods (which dd refuses point blank to eat - grrrr).

Honestly, for someone with no clue at all about cooking I think I may have found the best thing ever for making a few decent meals easily. I chucked in some blue cheese too this evening and had the sauce on purple sprouting broccoli, roast potatoes and bacon. Just look at me improvising and making things up on the spot! THAT is what people who really cook seem to do.

Must write down all these ideas for future use. What a pity I can't realistically eat more than two or three dinners a day...

Splodges - now you've mastered cheese sauce you can pour it over cooked pasta and have macaroni cheese instead of cauli cheese - the ultimate in cold winter evening comfort eating :)

We had mac cheese tonight because of this thread

I have a warm glow reading splodges happiness in new found cheese sauce cooking.

Oh and I've just realised I didn't answer your reply about baking and butter!

I make cheese sauce by melting butter in the pan (big blob) and then whisk flour into it. Then you pour the milk in slowly to get rid of the lumps and when nice and thick add your cheese.

I bake cauli cheese, macaroni cheese and mac cheese with toms and bacon on top on just over 170 for how ever long it takes to cook the bacon.

We always have it with a roast

OMG is that what macaroni cheese is? So I can nearly cook macaroni cheese!?! I am so excited. Should I put anything more adventurous in the sauce than just pepper?

I get really hungry and bored stirring the sauce until all the lumps are gone, is there any way of speeding it up or automating the process?

InTheRedCorner - The whole story is that I got quite ill and skinny and then began to sort it out last year, gave up smoking, and have found my appetite and love of proper food again. But in the mean time have completely forgotten anything about cooking (it has been years and years). I literally have a warm glow all the time now because my circulation is better and I'm not starving myself, it's great. I am on a health kick, and for me that involves eating as much cheese as possible

I had it for lunch today with a jacket potato. Twas ok, but have to agree a bit of gammon or sausages would have been even better.
I am the only person in my house who likes cauliflower cheese so I hardly ever have it (sob)

Lots of people have it with roast beef and it does go nicely but I think it's too much of a faff to make just as a side dish for a roast dinner.

We have it as a meal in itself, usually with some crispy bacon on top, and crusty bread.

I melt butter, bung flour in, chuck all the milk in, stir a couple of times and then use the electric hand blender to eliminate lumps when hot.

Agree on sausages. In fact, having tried quite a few lovely recipes from HFW's veggie book I can confirm that DH's response to all vegetarian meals is 'this would be better with sausages'. Missing the point a bit but very true.

If you're a purist in the kitchen you pre warm the milk for your white sauce with an onion studded with cloves and a couple of bay leaves in it before melting butter in a pan and adding the plain flour. A teaspoon of mustard makes cheese sauce ROCK! I also like nutmeg in a white sauce. I normally cheat by throwing a bit of ground cloves in with teh flour when stirring into the melted butter.
Once you've done the melted butter and flour bit you can use chicken stock to make the sauce instead of milk and then its lovely with chicken and mushroom - in a pie for example :)
Have fun in the kitchen