Sides & Sauces · England-wide

Cauliflower Cheese

Name: Cauliflower Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 4–6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 large cauliflower, broken into large florets; Béchamel: 50g butter, 50g flour, 600ml milk, 1 tsp English mustard; 150g mature cheddar, grated, plus 40g for the top; Pinch of nutmeg; salt and white pepper; 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Whole-baked cauliflower under a proper cheddar béchamel, bronzed and bubbling — the side dish that routinely upstages the roast itself.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
Yield: Serves 4–6
Difficulty: Easy
Era: Victorian

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower, broken into large florets
Béchamel: 50g butter, 50g flour, 600ml milk, 1 tsp English mustard
150g mature cheddar, grated, plus 40g for the top
Pinch of nutmeg; salt and white pepper; 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Method

Oven200°C400°FFan 180°CGas 6

Steam or boil the florets for 4–5 minutes until just tender; drain very well.
Make the béchamel: roux, then milk added gradually, simmered 3 minutes until thick.
Off the heat, stir in the mustard, nutmeg and cheddar. Season.
Combine in a baking dish, top with the extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake at 200°C / 400°F (fan 180°C, gas 6) for 20–25 minutes until burnished and bubbling.

Oven temperatures are given in Celsius, Fahrenheit, fan and gas mark throughout. Quantities are metric, as cooked and written in the UK.