Can I make the cheese sauce for my cauliflower cheese three hours in advance??

[0rangesandlemons]

Please I'm a rookie with all things cooking. I'm trying to prepare some stuff now before family arrive. Will it be okay for this to be done a few hours early or will it go wrong /weird?

It’ll be fine - just prep the dish and shove it in the oven when you’re ready.

Thank you. Also Yorkshire mix?

It will be absolutely fine. Just be careful a crust doesn’t form so either keep stirring until it’s cool or cover very tightly with cling film.

Yes, just warm it up when you need it.

Yes the sauce will be fine, once it cools it’ll go a bit thick but you can warm it through again gently (add a little bit more milk if needed) and it’ll be fine.

You can par boil the cauliflower in advance too if that helps with planning then all you need to do is put in the oven to heat through.

It will be fine to make the cheese sauce in advance and also fine to assemble the cauliflower cheese in its entirety in advance.

Is yorkshire mix that weird vinegary salad thing I've seen mentioned on here before?

Yes Yorkshire pudding mix can be made ahead, some recipes actually suggest making ahead and letting it stand :)

I always make mine the day before! I've also started peeling, chopping and parboiling all veg the day before as well - makes everything so much calmer. I store it all in freezer bags in the fridge, then just chuck it all in the oven in the morning.

Yes, you can assemble the whole dish and stick it in the oven to warm when you need it.

Its also fine to let Yorkshires batter sit, in fact it’s recommended!

I hope you have a lovely meal

I'd make the whole dish, rather than just the sauce, and heat it up in the oven when ready to serve.

Yep, my mum makes them both the day before. Yorkshire mix sits in the fridge and goes straight from the fridge into the hot oil. The cheese sauce gets put on the cauliflower when it's time to cook

My granny always said batter was best made in advance, and then beaten at intervals. So that's what I do!

Just hoik it out if the fridge, give it a whisk up, put it back in fridge, repeat now and then until you want to use it. I do bring to room temperature before using it though.

Thanks all! Down both mixtures and the cauliflower

Just to echo that I'd do both of those in advance.

At Christmas I make the cauliflower cheese and freeze it.

I think Yorkshire pud always rises better if made well in advance and refrigerated.

I always make the cauliflower cheese in advance!