Cauliflower cheese

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.

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

I love roasted cauliflower!

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

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

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 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 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.

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

Its one of my favourite things to eat.

but the colemans/ready packet cheese sauces are rank too

I’ve always found cheese on toast a bit too rich - any tips?

Home made is certainly best, but sometimes there are reasons why people buy ready meals. Or cheat a bit with the ingredients.
Mum always cooked it in the oven, but I don't always bother.
It's funny though, I did cheese on toast this week and the cheese didn't seem to melt easily and go brown on top like it used to. A great cheese mystery...

lemsip

horrible dish. tried an m&s ready meal of this ,

the ready made ones are not a patch on home made

I think it must be the types of cauliflower - I switched to Marks and Spencer and that was so much better

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

Redhead56

I don't cook it for long make the sauce with mustard added. I top the cauli with the sauce add panko crumbs and parmesan cheese finish off in the oven.

that sounds yummy..

horrible dish. tried an m&s ready meal of this ,

Thank you ,especially gulligran. I do add English mustard and oven bake. It tasted fine but watery sauce. I usually have a lattice pattern of pancetta but I didn’t have any in. Unusually for me I weighed and measured too. I might go back to throwing everything in randomly.

I cook my cauliflower fresh or frozen for 5 mins on high heat and leave to drain until cold. Make white sauce the all in one method and always use mature cheddar. I don't use spread in mine as enough fat in the cheddar . I put cold milk 200ml in a pain and 30g of plain flour and crumb in the 50g cheese put on the heat and using a whisk bring to the boil stirring all the time until thick and smooth. If too thick add bit more milk . Pour it over cauli let it go cold and bake in oven 200° for 30-40 mins . I never add salt but usually black pepper.

Now that's odd Stansgran - exactly the same for me last night. Lightly cooked cauliflower with plenty of resistance to knife, my usual cheese sauce, made just like yours and I usually add a good shake of garlic granules for extra flavour. Plenty of cheese on top, baked as usual alongside a tray of streaky bacon rashers (which I arrange in a "cheffy" pattern on top - yes I know, but DH likes it!) and the whole thing sprinkled with fresh chives.

Came to dish up - incredibly watery sauce, although it did taste okay.

kittylester

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

I’m being an even bigger cheat as we speak! Cauliflower boiled then air dried, topped with Waitrose Essential cheese sauce and ready grated cheddar browned under the grill!

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

I cook the cauliflower in the microwave with just a spoon of water. This means it doesn't leek water and thin the sauce.

I always steam the cauliflower and broccoli (I don’t like cauliflower on its own) together. I make an all in one white sauce, sometimes adding a dash of cream. I add English mustard, seasoning and grated cheese and pile it all into an ovenproof dish. Top with brown breadcrumbs and grated cheese and bake for half an hour at 180 C.

I use a Hairy Bikers' recipe. They add cayenne pepper for a bit of a spicey taste.
Only cook your cauliflower for 3 - 4 minutes for firmess before baking.