Grandma's Cauliflower Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why does my cauliflower cheese go watery after? ›

Cauliflower cheese can go watery if the cauliflower is overcooked. Overcooked cauliflower releases water, which will seep into the rest of the dish. So even if your sauce was thick when it went in the oven, if its in there too long, the water from the cauliflower will cause it to go watery.

Cooking the cauliflower cheese at too high a temperature can sometimes cause the cheese to split, resulting in a slightly oily, grainy texture. A split sauce can also be avoided by removing the sauce from the heat before adding the cheese.

Cooked cauliflower florets keep their shape best when steamed (5-10 mins) – remember to place them upright in the steamer. It can also be boiled (takes 5-10 mins for florets; around 10 mins for a whole cauliflower). For both cooking methods, test regularly with the tip of a knife to make sure they don't overcook.

What should I serve with Cauliflower Cheese? This would be perfect with a full roast or a pared-back version. It goes wonderfully with my Slow Cooker Roast Beef recipe, or my Slow Cooker Ham recipe, my Slow Cooker Roast Chicken or even my Meatloaf recipe.

Once the riced cauliflower has been cooked (or thawed), transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out!

Our top recommendation is cheese paper. Cheese paper is the waxy paper your cheese often comes in when you get it from your local cheesemonger. Coated in both wax and a porous layer of plastic on the inside, cheese paper allows your cheese to breathe without being totally exposed and losing its precious moisture.

Add more liquid

The first thing to try is adding more liquid. How much liquid to add depends on how much of the sauce is broken. If it is half-broken, add half as much again as the amount of oil that was used to break it in the first place. If it is completely broken, add equal volumes of oil and liquid.

The Fix Is Simple—Add Water Back.

A generous splash of water is all it takes. Here's how fix a broken sauce: Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan and reheat the sauce to a vigorous simmer, whisking constantly. The bubbling action will help re-emulsify the butter and bring back that thick, glossy sauce.

There's a way to save gritty cheese sauces, and you likely already have it in your fridge: lemon juice. A squirt of lemon comes to the rescue of ruined sauces in a pinch. All you have to do is cool the broken sauce, add a tablespoon of lemon juice (or white wine, if you don't mind the flavor), and whisk vigorously.

There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.

How do you know when cauliflower is done? ›

Your cauliflower will be ready harvest when the heads are 6-8 inches in diameter, roughly 10 days after blanching. Harvest by cutting the stalk just below the head, leaving a stem of about 1-2 inches.

This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites. As cauliflower is highly susceptible to microbial attacks, it should be washed once again. This time, boil some water and put the cauliflower florets in it. Keep for five minutes and remove from the hot water.

It can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to cook. It is possible to freeze cauliflower cheese but unfortunately the sauce can sometimes turn thin and sligtly watery on defrosting, so we prefer not to freeze the dish if at all possible.

Cauliflower cheese is a traditional English dish. It can be eaten as a main course, for lunch or dinner, or as a side dish. Cauliflower cheese consists of pieces of cauliflower lightly boiled and covered with a milk-based cheese sauce, for which a mature cheese (such as cheddar) tends to be preferred.

Soggy cauliflower wings can result from excess batter or overcrowding on the baking sheet. Be sure to shake off excess batter before baking, and give each floret enough space to allow for proper air circulation. Baking on a wire rack can also help prevent sogginess.

Unlike those starchy grains of rice, riced cauliflower doesn't soak up moisture or liquid in the same way. Top your dish with too much sauce or dressing and it will pool in the bottom of the dish.

The Secret to a Non-Soggy Crust

Once your cauliflower is tender and “riced” you'll need to squeeze out the moisture that cauliflower naturally contains. This is the secret to getting a dry crust that you can pick up with your hands.

As cheese is pushed out of the can, shear rate increases causing a decrease in viscosity and higher flow rates of the material. In this case, the cheese behaves more as a fluid.