What to serve was macaroni cheese?

[SnickersWasAHorse]

I have a friend who is Indian. She has lived in the UK for about 5 years. A while ago she invited me, DH and a couple of other friends to her house for a traditional Indian meal. As you can imagine it was just amazing, but she said that she was just cooking what she makes all the time for her family.

I asked her what English food she would like me to cook in return and she said that the one dish that she really wants to learn how to make is macaroni cheese! I make a cracking macaroni cheese so I am happy with this. However I don't make it very often as it's not really enough of a meal in itself in my opinion.

This leaves me with a question. She wants to come and visit and learn how to make it, and I'll also invite the other friends too, but it's not really enough of a dish to serve on it's own for a meal.
What would you put with it? I want some side dishes really that are very 'English', by which I mean anything that we would eat in England, rather than vert traditional English food. I don't want to 'jazz up' or change the macaroni cheese in any way as this is what she is coming for.
Also, it needs to be vegi as DH and I are both vegetarian and my friend is Hindu.

Macaroni cheese needs crispy bacon and plenty of sliced up ripe tomatoes. By all means add on a green salad and some good crusty bread to contrast with the Mac.

I'd have it with jerk chicken.

What about as a large side with a nice herby roast chicken and a fresh raw courgette salad and a tomato and rocket salad?

I usually do roasted mushrooms and baby plum tomatoes.

A crisp green salad with spring onions, and either fresh tomato salad or grilled/baked tomatoes.

My grandchildren love macaroni cheese served with wedges and salad.

Cucumber and tomato salad is what we always, always have with macaroni cheese. Basically just loads of both, chopped up.

Big green salad definitely.

No way would I serve garlic bread with it. Far too many carbs!!

Garlic bread and salad, every time

Serve the mac n cheese as a starter/pasta course then do a light main you feel confident with?

Roasted tomatoes - halved, a touch of crushed garlic, fresh thyme leaves, seasoning, drizzle with olive oil, 40 minutes in the oven. Green beans tossed with lemon zest and olive oil. A simple salad of baby gem lettuce with a light vinaigrette.

I love it with chicken and salad or broccoli. I also often make Greek butter beans in a spicy tomato sauce with lots of dill, to have alongside macaroni cheese.

Pudding!!!!

Needs to get English, not too stodgy, not too dairy, I'd say.

Apple tart?
Would suggest eg rhubarb crumble but crumble might be too much, but many people love crumble..

With ice cream both are yum..

So are treacle tart and syrup pudding but hardly a balanced meal...

In the US South - where macaroni and cheese is NOT from a box but cooked from scratch - it's usually served with chicken (often fried or BBQ) or ham. Green salad on the side and you have a very filling meal. Yum!

We always have peas and cauliflower.

Once in a cafe in Scotland it was served with chips.....a very happy memory.

Salad
Green veg (broccoli)
Garlic bread
Bruschetta
Tomato and mozzarella salad
Garlic mushrooms