How do you make cauliflower cheese quick?

threemuttleys

slummymummyof3 wrote: »

I'm sorry but I did chuckle when I read 'home made' and 'cheese sauce mix' together! Why don't you try making your cheese sauce? It will be far nicer than a packet one.

thats a bit harsh!

well done OP for making those first steps. Have a go at making a cheese sauce yourself next time, I used to buy those packets, but once you make your own theres no going back!

all you need is butter, flour, milk, cheese (any you like) salt and pepper. I also like to add a touch of mustard (makes it taste cheesier!)

stick a search in google, you will come up with loads of recipes.

pinkmami

I use packet mix too as well as making my own. Sad thing is I'm the only one who likes it in this house but I'll happily eat a HUGE portion myself! I also !!! extra grated mature cheddar to my pakcet mix.

mmmmmmm lovely!

JulieGeorgiana

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE IS AMAZING!!!!!!

To make your own cheese sauce, melt butter, add flour to make a rue, add milk slowely, then add cheese... add salt and pepper to taste!!!!

Once you've made your own you will never buy the packets again!

Having said that I have loads of packets of stuff I no longer use...! Hmmmm!!!

Not very OS if I don't use them... but I stopped using them and started making my own about a year ago!!! WHoops!!!]

Can I freecycle them do you think??

4Chickens

Thanks again for all your replies.

I have tried in the past to make cheese sauce from scratch and yes it ends up one lump or two, there is no guarantee that the packet sauce isn't going to be one slice or two either but I am going to give it my best shot. Fortunately I am the only one that will be eating it and perhaps the chickens if it goes really wrong.

BitterAndTwisted

The trick with lump-free sauce from scratch is to add the milk to the roux very, very gradually. Then, when it's the thickness you require make sure it's simmered for a couple of minutes before you add the grated cheese. Don't have the mixture at boiling-point after the cheese has been added or you risk it going stringy. I second the suggestion of adding a little (English) mustard to the mixture as it adds a lot to the final flavour.

Once you get the hang of making a sauce like this from scratch you'll never need to go back to a packet one.

UnderPressure

cindiedunkley wrote: »

Thanks again for all your replies.

I have tried in the past to make cheese sauce from scratch and yes it ends up one lump or two, there is no guarantee that the packet sauce isn't going to be one slice or two either but I am going to give it my best shot. Fortunately I am the only one that will be eating it and perhaps the chickens if it goes really wrong.

Well done to you :T

Its only a cauliflower cheeses but it is the fact you are interested and asking tquestion in learning how to cook that is the main thing

OK here are my tips, making the sauce from scratch is easy a decent sized knob of butter in a pan not too hot otherwise it will burn but you want to hear it sizzling at this point throw in 2 tablespoons of plain flour and stir, it will become a thick paste, cook it like this for a couple of minutes stirring all the time to cook the flour out, now get yourelf around a pint of cold milk or if like me you have a cream fettish you could use half double cream half milk Pur it in SLOWLY this is my top tip A lot of people throw all the milk in at once this can be a bit hit and miss when it comes to lumps if you pour it in slowly say 1 qauter of a pint at a time you have more control over the whole process, always let the previous qauter pint heat up and start bubbling before you add more this not only guarantees there will be no lumps it also helps you to better judge the consistency

If you imagine doingit this way you are taking it frombeing a "thick" paste, to a slightly "thinner paste" to again a slightly "thinner" paste, to a "thick" sauce then with the final quater pint decide yourself on thickness from there, I guarantee if you follow this method there will be no lumps at all When making cheese sauce you want to make the initial sauce consistency very slightly thinner than you intend the final sauce to be, when you add your grated cheese it thickens it again, add as much cheese as you wish to taste add some taste it add some taste it, when you first add the cheese it will look lumpy get yourself a baloon whisk and give it a good whisking like you are beating eggs eventually after say a minute or 2 the cheese will melt and you will be left with a smooth sily sauce

Then season it, some people prefer white pepper so it blends in with the colour of the sauce, I personally prefer freshly ground black pepper the black flecks of pepper make it look all the more home made to me and I prefer the taste of black pepper as well, also salt now a top tip and a pet hate Try if you can to buy what I term decent natural salt, the big tubs of table salt and even the one in the red tub cant remember its name now is about 40% chemical additives not good at all if you are going to the effort of home cooking to eat natural foods then adding a load of chemicals doesnt seem right somehow I buy Maldon sea salt, I just bought some this morning from tesco it was £1.41 for a box of it, it is natural sea salt arguably the best you can buy, it is in the form of small flakes that you can throw in whole or crush between you fingers to make it finer, it alo lasts for ages as being natural salt it is a lot "saltier" so you use less

Various ways to cook the cauliflower choose from any of the above methods as said cook it do it is "al dante" still has a little crunch to it then it will finish of in the oven, if you like it that way like me then dont put it in the oven at all throw over your cheese sauch and a bit more grated cheese and put it under a hot grill till it is golden and bubbling.

If you want to make the whole thing into a meal on its own cook a couple of cups of macaroni and throw that in as well, you could also add some crispy bacon or pancetta or even ham with a bit of garlic

A cheats cheese sauce that I sometimes use is a small tub of creme freche, with half a tub of cream cheese dont be fooled into buying the popular brand that is twice the price of the supermarket own brand it is all exactly the same thing then some grated cheddar or whatever cheese you like salt and pepper pur it over your cooked cauliflower and bake for around 20 mins on gas mark 4 or 200 degrees. It is a little thinner than a normal cheese sauce but tastes fantastic and when your short of time it works just as well

HTH best of luck and enjoy your dinner

One last thing I also love broccolli cheese either on its own or with the cauliflower as well it works really well

JulieGeorgiana

Add the milk VERY slowely... this stops the lumps!!!

My husband trickles in the milk while I mix like mad!!!

It's worth it!

ixia

I like a cheese and breadcrumb mix on top of mine and it means you don't need to use as much cheese for the topping.

Vaila

ive found a great vegan cheese sauce mix (wouldnt touch the hard or soft vegan cheeses as they are not only grossly expensive but quite yucky too !), but when making a cauliflower cheese for the family i make a basic cheese sauce , then top the bake with a breadcrumb and cheese mix with a few herbs. i also have used a parmesan blend from oil and vinegar which always recieves lots of good noises

maybe even adding some bits of fried bacon,onion, leeks or tomatoes etc into your cauliflower?

meritaten

another tip when making cheese sauce is - dont bother using mild cheddar cheese! use mature or extra mature and you will use less and it tastes much better! I sometimes add a little parmegiano reggiano (grated) too. and add a little mustard, about a quarter teaspoon is plenty to bring out the taste of the cheese! but then, we do like our cheese sauce to taste of CHEESE!