Classic Cauliflower Cheese

This Classic Cauliflower Cheese is my version of the ever popular British favourite. The creamy cheese sauce coats the cauliflower to make the most delicious and decadent side dish.

How to cook your cauliflower

The last thing you want is a watery cauliflower cheese. Two ways to help prevent this are to make sure you don’t overcook your cauliflower and to allow it to thoroughly steam dry.

When you are cooking the cauliflower, make sure you only par boil it. You are looking to just cook it until the point of a sharp knife can go into the stem. At this stage it will be firmer than you would like to eat it; but remember we’re cooking it again in the oven.

If you cook the cauliflower for too long it will release moisture when you bake it in the cheese sauce and make it watery. Likewise if you don’t allow your cauliflower to steam dry properly, you may get a watery sauce.

I drain my cauliflower in a colander and leave it for around 10 minutes to steam dry before adding it to the cheese sauce.

which cheese is recommended to use?

I like to use a mixture of cheeses when making broccoli cheese because they all add a different quality to the finished dish. The main thing to remember is to not be stingy with the cheese. This isn’t the recipe for going light with the cheese!

You can of course switch up the cheeses I have used and add others like Gruyere and red Leicester. Just don’t use cheese like feta and Wensleydale that don’t melt well at all.

extra mature cheddar

Extra mature is always my cheddar of choice I love the flavour and saltiness it has. You of course can use whichever cheddar you like.

I prefer to buy a block of cheese and grate it myself, but pre-grated cheese will work just as well in this recipe.

Reduced fat cheese doesn’t tend to melt as well as full fat cheese. You can by all means give it a go but make sure you add it more gradually into the cheese sauce to give it the best chance of melting.

Parmesan

Parmesan is a great way of adding another flavour to your cauliflower cheese. It has a bold, salty and slightly nutty flavour that works really well in this recipe.

Again I buy Parmesan in a slice and grate it myself. I would recommend doing this is you can rather than buying the pre-grated Parmesan that looks powdery as a block of Parmesan is going to be better quality.

It is worth noting that Parmesan isn’t usually vegetarian because it contains animal rennet.

Mozzarella

I add mozzarella to my cauliflower cheese more for it’s amazing melting capabilities than it’s favour. It is a very mild cheese which melts fantastically.

Mozzarella is a cheese I do buy pre-grated. It is sold in a few different forms and it is the pre-grated option you are looking for rather than the fresh balls or slices.

Making the perfect cheese sauce

This cauliflower cheese relies heavily on a good Mornay sauce otherwise known as a bechamel with added cheese or simply as a cheese sauce.

Whatever you call it, it is important to get it right so the finished dish is absolutely delicious. It is simple enough to do, but there are a few key things to remember.

When you are making your roux by combining the flour and butter, let it cook out for a minute or two. This will help prevent a raw flour taste in your finished dish.

Be patient when adding your milk. Add a little at a time and only add more when the first is fully absorbed. If you get carried away and add too much milk at once you are likely to get lumps which is what no one wants in their cheese sauce.

When it comes to adding the cheese, add a small handful at a time and allow it to melt before adding more. This allows the cheese to melt more easily and reduce the risk of lumps.

I would recommend using a whisk when making a cheese sauce as it is another way to help reduce the likelihood of lumps.

making this cauliflower cheese vegetarian or vegan

You might think that cauliflower cheese is already vegetarian but that depends on whether you use Parmesan. As I mentioned above, traditional Parmesan isn’t vegetarian as it contains animal rennet.

Supermarkets usually sell ‘Italian hard cheese’ which is a vegetarian alternative. You shouldn’t have any issues finding a vegetarian option if you need one.

To make this cauliflower cheese vegan you will need to make some changes to the cheese sauce. You will need to find dairy free alternatives to the butter, milk and cheese.

The butter and milk should be fairly straightforward swaps. When it comes to the cheese, use a couple of different cheeses similar to the ones I have used that will melt well.

Vegan cheese doesn’t have the best reputation for melting so you might need some trial and error to find you perfect cheese blend.

how to serve cauliflower cheese

Cauliflower cheese is a great accompaniment to all sorts of meals. The most obvious choice would be as part of a roast dinner. I have lots of recipes to give you some inspiration:

• Air Fryer Gammon Joint
• Air Fryer Roast Beef
• Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken
• Festive Vegetarian Galettes
• Simple Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Green Beans
• Roasted Air Fryer Parsnips
• Air Fryer Chantenay Carrots
• Easy Sausage Meat Stuffing

But don’t just restrict yourself to serving cauliflower cheese with a roast dinner. It makes a great side dish for any meat or fish that cheese compliments.

Other recipes you might like

• Broccoli Cheese
• Creamed Savoy Cabbage
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Roasted Air Fryer Carrots
• Roasted Parmesan Tenderstem Broccoli

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