Bushra Griffith
Cauliflower cheese is a classic British side dish that pairs well with a roast dinner. It is made by coating cauliflower in a béchamel or cheese sauce and baking it in the oven. The dish is comforting, tasty, and easy to make. While it is often served as a side, cauliflower cheese can also be the star of the plate. So, what are the best dishes to serve with cauliflower cheese?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Dish type | Side dish or vegetarian main meal |
| Meal type | Comfort food |
| Best served with | Roast, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, gluten-free bread, sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, garden salad, garlic bread, caramelized carrots, grilled asparagus, rice pilaf, zucchini fritters, quinoa, potato wedges, eggplant parmesan, pulled pork, fresh fruit salad, green beans, peas, gammon, bacon, macaroni, wraps, burgers, sunday roast meat |
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Roast chicken or beef
For a roast chicken dinner, cauliflower cheese is a perfect accompaniment. It can be served with roast potatoes, or, for a healthier option, a simple mixed salad with a tangy vinaigrette. If you want to keep it simple, serve it with a piece of bread and butter.
If you're serving roast beef, cauliflower cheese is a great side dish. For a beef roast with a difference, try a herb-topped beef roast with garlic and thyme, served with roasted cauliflower. Alternatively, a sous vide roast beef served with a creamy mushroom sauce is a perfect dish for the holidays.
For a heartier meal, you could try a loaded cauliflower chicken casserole. This comforting dish has all the elements of a loaded baked potato, with roasted cauliflower taking the place of the potato.
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Crispy vegetables
Cauliflower cheese is a classic British side dish that goes well with a roast or a range of other dishes. Here are some crispy vegetable options that you can serve with cauliflower cheese:
Crispy Green Beans
Green beans can add a satisfying crunch to your meal. Cooking them until they are just crispy offers a textural contrast to the creaminess of the cauliflower cheese.
Roasted Potatoes
Roasted potatoes are a universal favourite and pair perfectly with cauliflower cheese. The crispy exterior and soft interior of roasted potatoes make for an excellent complement to the dish. You can flavour them with herbs like rosemary or thyme to add another dimension to the dish.
Steamed Broccoli
Broccoli is another vegetable that pairs well with cauliflower cheese, giving you a double dose of cruciferous vegetables. The mild bitterness of the broccoli is a great counterpart to the richness of the cheese sauce. You can also add broccoli to the cauliflower cheese sauce itself for an added crunch.
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled asparagus offers a slightly smoky flavour that can enhance the taste of cauliflower cheese. A little olive oil, salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice are all you need to make this vegetable shine.
Crispy Breadcrumbs
While not a vegetable, breadcrumbs can add a nice crunch to your cauliflower cheese. Blitz bread, thyme leaves, and almonds in a food processor with a bit of oil and seasoning to create a crispy topping.
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Bread and butter
If you are serving cauliflower cheese as a main, a hunk of crusty bread is a great accompaniment. You could also serve it with a baked potato, or, if you're feeling fancy, garlic bread.
If you're looking to elevate your bread and butter, you could add bacon or caramelised onions to the cauliflower cheese and call it a Farmhouse Bake. Or, for a lighter option, serve with a garden salad.
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Salads
A Mediterranean cauliflower salad is a healthy and fresh option. The trick to this salad is to pulse large florets into a rice-like mixture, which allows the cauliflower to absorb flavour. Add in fresh parsley, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, garlic, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.
A cauliflower salad with feta and dates is another option. The roasted cauliflower is drizzled with a herby tahini dressing and served with a healthy serving of the feta and date salad. For a boost of protein, add crispy tofu or chickpea crumbles.
A cauliflower salad with bacon and onion, tossed with a sweet basil dressing, is another unique and easy-to-make option.
For a low-carb option, try a cauliflower salad with mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, onion, peas, dill pickles, and bacon.
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Potato dishes
Roasted potatoes are a classic choice to serve alongside cauliflower cheese. The crispy exterior and soft interior of roasted potatoes complement the creaminess of the cauliflower cheese. You can flavour them with herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
For a different take on potatoes, potato wedges are a great option. They add a different texture to the meal and can be a fun, easy-to-eat side dish.
If you're looking for a more creative potato dish, why not try potato and cauliflower cheese? This combination is a tasty way to incorporate potatoes into your meal, and you can even add bacon to make it more of a main course.
Alternatively, you could serve cauliflower cheese with a baked potato. This allows the flavours of the cauliflower cheese to shine while still enjoying the comfort of a baked potato.
For a gluten-free option, you could serve cauliflower cheese with gluten-free bread. This can help to soak up the cheesy sauce, ensuring none of it goes to waste.
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Frequently asked questions
Some side dishes that go well with cauliflower cheese include roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic bread.
Gluten-free bread can be a good option to soak up the cheesy sauce. You can also pair cauliflower cheese with roasted potatoes, steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, or a garden salad.
Cauliflower cheese can be served with roast chicken or beef. It can also be a side dish to a meat main course. Thick slices of gammon or crispy bacon can also be served with cauliflower cheese.
Cauliflower cheese can be a vegetarian main meal. It can be served with steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, or a garden salad. You can also try combining cauliflower cheese with macaroni and thyme for a comforting vegetarian pasta bake.
