Cauliflower cheese

The cathedral city cauli cheese is a good one.
I'll eat any, though.

Its one of my favourite things to eat.

I never put mine in the oven - I’d be afraid of the cauliflower getting overcooked, but now and then I’ll add breadcrumbs and extra grated cheese, and whack it under a hot grill for a few minutes.
Especially if it’s a cauliflower/macaroni cheese combo, which I make now and then.

I wonder if it's the cheese then?

I only use one of about three cheeses and they are all mature famhouse organic so no real variation there.

I've not known cheese to not melt as expected.

I've just had a thought about your cauliflower.
Maybe it was harvested immediately after all the wet weather?
I know my outdoor tomatoes have no flavour if puffed up with too much water - maybe cauliflowers can get too wet in their cell structure too?

I have never thought of doing a cauliflower/ macaroni combo Witzend. A simple but brilliant idea that adds a bit of substance/variety to the meal. Thanks

Am I possibly the only person on here to roast the cauliflower before making the sauce and assembling?
Probably!

I love roasted cauliflower!

My friend slices the cauliflower into ‘steaks’, dusts with cumin, and fries.
I’ve never tried it myself, but it sounds good.

I have no idea what a panada is 🤔

Cauliflower cooked until it gives but is still undercooked. Poke with a skewer until it feels right.
Make a white sauce, preferably by the roux method but you can cheat and use cornflour, add a little mustard, salt, pepper and lots of grated cheese, strong cheddar or a mix of cheeses.

Place in ovenproof dish, sprinkle with grated cheese and grated breadcrumbs, bake in oven until cheese topping looks done.

My usual vague, throw it together recipes, but it always turns out well.

Greenfinch

I have never thought of doing a cauliflower/ macaroni combo Witzend. A simple but brilliant idea that adds a bit of substance/variety to the meal. Thanks

You’re welcome. I made it once for two unexpected dinner guests when I happened to have enough of everything! It went down very well.

Stansgran

This is my favourite meal for Monday. The cauliflower was soggy and I like it to resist the knife slightly. The sauce was watery. I steam the cauliflower briefly and the cheddar was usual standard. White sauce I made with a panada and added plenty of cheese on top.
Are cauliflowers more watery these days or is cheese? What went wrong? Any ideas from fellow cooks?

What is the meaning of Panada sauce?
a thick sauce or paste made with breadcrumbs, milk, and seasonings, often served with roast wild fowl or meat

Why would you not make a simple bechamel,sauce?
Simply not draining your cauliflower well enough might have made it watery, but my money is also on the “sauce” .

kittylester

Was just going to say that I cheat. Sainsbury's frozen with grated nutmeg and extra cheese. And it's gf.

Me too😁

ElaineI

Haven't noticed that problem. Just that cauliflowers are expensive these days. Usually make it do for 3 meals for the 2 of us.

Blimey you make me feel so greedy! What do you have? A floret each every meal time! 😉

Urmstongran

ElaineI

Haven't noticed that problem. Just that cauliflowers are expensive these days. Usually make it do for 3 meals for the 2 of us.

Blimey you make me feel so greedy! What do you have? A floret each every meal time! 😉

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I've never heard of cauliflower cheese being made with bread sauce, but each to their own. For a quick white sauce I use Bisto white sauce granules. A tub lasts a long time and I think they are really excellent. I usually add a splash of double cream too. I love cauliflower cheese with chunky chips!

I steam the cauliflower for about 5 minutes and let it cool. I make a bog standard cheese sauce from scratch starting with a roux adding far too much Cathedral City extra mature cheese and a spoonful of Colemans dried mustard. Finally I crush a bag of cheese and onion crisps and sprinkle on top before baking in the oven. Never had a problem.

Macaroni and Cauli Cheese is lovely. I briefly cooked a whole cauliflower in florets the other day, but roasting the florets in the oven would be first choice (although it takes longer). I paid €5.40 for the cauliflower 😱- a bit steep !!! Wonder if it's due to the water shortages? A roux, then milk added slowly, then a large amount of grated Comté (if I don't have Cheddar) added to the thickened sauce, together with a dollop of French mustard and some black pepper. Will have already fried a sliced onion with some shredded bacon rashers; macaroni or penne cooked, drained and allowed to dry out. Then assemble : a layer of onion/bacon into a big dish, and layers of cauliflower and pasta added - using up all the ingredients. I always make the top layer of cauli, since I wouldn't want to risk crunchy pasta. The cheese sauce is then poured to cover the entire dish with a handful of grated cheese to finish. Oven baked for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.

I always put cayenne pepper and English mustard and make sure cauliflower is not soggy I use English Cheddar cheese or Red Leicester as I do for my scones Enjoy

The general consensus of the recipes I have consulted is that overcooked cauliflower releases more water with the result of a diluted sauce.

Urmstongran
I didn't comment but there is no way a cauliflower cheese would make 6 portions in my house either!
😂

Grandmafrench, I was 😱 at having to pay €4 for a cauliflower in France a few years ago. Admittedly quite a big one, but a lot more than I still pay at home. It was in the local Carrefour, too - not in an expensive shop.

BTW I now make my white sauce by the Saint Delia method - chuck it all in - butter, flour, milk, and apply the good old balloon whisk. Works perfectly. Grated cheese, S&P and English mustard are stirred in afterwards.

We have cauliflower cheese quite often with baked potatoes. Always make cheese sauce with a roux base and plenty of mature cheddar and some English mustard. I really don’t think cauliflowers are any different at all. It’s important to drain well or the sauce will become watery. Once sauce put on top of cooked cauliflower I put it under the grill with more cheese mixed with breadcrumbs from the freezer. It really is a good example of cooking a fairly cheap meal from scratch. I wouldn’t eat a McDonalds in a million years.

I like macdonalds, too.

JaneJudge

I think there is something going on with cheese. It seems to split much more easily and it isn't melting as well? I can't be the only one that has noticed this

I too have noticed this which is why I now mix breadcrumbs in with the cheese I put on top. It absorbs the oil. I have found Waitrose Davidstow mature cheddar seems to less oily than other cheddars. It has a long lead time so I buy a 2-3 packs when it’s on offer.

recklessgran

I steam the cauliflower for about 5 minutes and let it cool. I make a bog standard cheese sauce from scratch starting with a roux adding far too much Cathedral City extra mature cheese and a spoonful of Colemans dried mustard. Finally I crush a bag of cheese and onion crisps and sprinkle on top before baking in the oven. Never had a problem.

That's pretty much how I make mine too - I always add some mustard powder to any cheese sauce, and added crushed crisps over the top is lovely. I do that with my tuna pasta bake too, and sometimes with macaroni cheese.