Cauliflower cheese

My mum regularly made cauliflower cheese as a main course on its own. Also Macaroni cheese. My husband isn't keen so we don't tend to have it.

My niece makes broccoli/cauliflower cheese as a side dish with various meats, plus potatoes and other vegs. Too much for me!

We have always had it as the main dish, maybe with crusty bread or carroty mashed potatoes.
Can I just ask - does anyone cook the cauli whole? I have been served it like this and thought it was odd.

My youngest loves my cauliflower cheese - served with roast potatoes! It goes very well

We have broccoli cheese, with jacket potato, or with fresh bread and salad, sometimes made into a quiche and served warm, yum yum?

defo on its own , might have that for tea tonight

I was always told that cauliflower cheese should not be served a side dish, that it should be caulk in a white sauce as a side dish and cauli Cheese is a dish in the own right.

That said we have it as both!!

Ingrid, yes that's what I was getting at in my post! DD is trying to lose weight and was shocked at 1950's, 1960's portion sizes such as 2 slices of roast meat. Cauliflower cheese was a main because it had cheese and that was your protein source for that meal - now people just pile up their plates - I like a nice small meal, mounds of food make me lose my appetite so I think I'm still in the old mindset. ?

It's a main dish for us- as others have said with some nice bread. DH likes bacon in it. I really fancy some now- maybe tomorrow night!

Sorry Marycat2. We must have been typing simultaneously!!

Main dish here too (in Scotland) Funnily enough I have been noticing macaroni and cheese as a side in family restaurants - I always think of that as a main dish too. Don't you think people eat more than we did (in our youth)?

As a child we had it as a main with bread and butter - it was frugal. Now it has become a side dish but I like my cauliflower and marrow with a white sauce when they are side dishes.

A main for me, with crumbled crispy bacon on the top.

It's too filling and fattening as a side dish.

I love that a thread about cauliflower cheese has attracted over 80 posters!

Love the idea of crispy onions on it

Here in London I have as a meal on its own but the trend now is as a side dish .
Things have evolved have you noticed macaroni cheese has also become a side dish

I don't like cauliflower cheese with a roast dinner as I like lots of gravy and for me the two don't mix well.

I was a child in Sussex and cauliflower cheese on its own was one of my favourites. I wonder if it was made during rationing to make food go further?
These days it can also be a side dish for DH and main course for me, maybe with the addition of onion for extra flavour. I love a good thick cheese sauce as well. A comfort food for me.

Add left over cubed meat from joint love it . My mum would put a layer of sliced pots in bottom to turn it into a meal for 4 hungry kids

We have it with well browned tasty sausages

Favourite meal as a child. Loved it when my mother served it with homemade chips. Used to be a staple for my husband and I but I am not so good with many vegetables these days ☹️

Always a side dish here. Not often though, I love it, but OH doesn’t

I'm Scottish and have never heard of it as a main dish. It sounds a good idea though

Cauliflower cheese we will have on it's own or with a bit of broccoli in it. Sometimes I do a jacket potato as others have mentioned on this thread. I also sometimes do sausages to go with it. However I always sprinkle breadcrumbs and a bit of grated cheese on top and put sliced or halved tomatoes on top as well. Delicious.

I always cut the cauliflower up and par boil with some potatoes. New or old both work fine. Cover with the cheese sauce and top with tomato pieces. Then finish cooking in the oven. Often make it if going out for the day with a visiting friend then just heat through when we get home. Sometimes have nice crusty bread with it!

I usually have it as a main meal although I seem to have lost the ability to make it as nice as it used to be. Thick sauce made with cheese and some onion eaten with fresh crusty bread.
Now you've made me want some.

It such a long time ago I made it, but I think we had it as veg with the main meal.Thanks for reminding me about this delicious meal, I must make it soon.