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Side Dishes

Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower cheese is tender cauliflower baked in a mustardy Cheddar sauce until golden and bubbling, a favorite side dish with the British roast.
Recipe Cauliflower Cheese
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 20 minutes
  • Cooking 30 minutes
  • Servings for 6 people

Cauliflower cheese is cauliflower florets, briefly boiled and covered in a smooth cheese sauce, a white sauce of butter, flour and infused milk with plenty of mature Cheddar and a little mustard, then baked until the top is golden and bubbling.

It is one of the best-loved side dishes of the British Sunday roast, and at Christmas it has a place on many tables next to the turkey, the roast potatoes and the Brussels sprouts. It can be assembled in advance and baked while the turkey rests, which makes it a practical side dish on the busiest cooking day of the year.

Ingredients for 6 people

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Method

  1. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the bay leaf and the peppercorns until it is almost boiling. Take it off the heat and leave it to infuse while you prepare the cauliflower.
  2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the cauliflower florets for 4 to 5 minutes, until a knife slides in but they are still firm. Drain them well and leave them in the colander for a few minutes to steam dry, then spread them in a buttered ovenproof dish of about 25 x 20 cm (10 x 8 inches).
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the flour, the mustard powder and the cayenne, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to make a smooth roux.
  4. Strain the milk and add it to the roux a little at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition; once the sauce is loose, pour in the rest more quickly. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  5. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 125 g of the Cheddar until melted. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  6. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower so that every floret is coated and scatter the remaining 25 g of Cheddar on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Let it settle for 5 minutes before serving. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

For a crunchy top, mix 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs with the cheese for sprinkling. Part of the Cheddar can be replaced with Gruyère, or with a little Stilton left over from the Christmas cheese board. Many families replace half the cauliflower with broccoli, and some add crisp bacon, which makes the dish no longer vegetarian.

Tips

Boil the florets only until just tender, as they soften further in the oven, and drain them very well: a wet cauliflower makes a watery sauce. Add the milk to the roux slowly at first for a sauce without lumps, and stir in the cheese off the heat, so it melts smoothly instead of turning stringy. A strong, mature Cheddar gives the best flavor; for vegetarian guests, choose a vegetarian Cheddar, made without animal rennet.

Storage

Assembled and cooled, the dish keeps covered in the fridge for up to 1 day: bake it straight from the fridge for 35 to 40 minutes, until piping hot and golden. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat them in the oven until piping hot.

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