Chef Poppy O’Toole, known as the ‘Potato Queen’, has shared her secret to making cauliflower cheese without the dreaded watery texture. In a recent TikTok video, she advised home cooks to avoid boiling the cauliflower before baking, a common step that often leaves the dish soft and bland.
Instead, O’Toole recommends covering raw cauliflower with a Mornay sauce—a rich cheese sauce—and allowing the liquid to steam and roast the vegetable in the oven or air fryer. This method preserves the cauliflower’s texture and concentrates its flavour.
For a crispy, crunchy topping, the chef favours using an air fryer over a conventional oven. Not only does this achieve a perfect finish, but it also frees up oven space for other roast dinner components. “Cheesy, crunchy on top, smooth, velvety Mornay sauce, and the cauliflower is cooked to perfection,” she said.
The video has amassed over 762,500 views and 25,000 likes, sparking debate among viewers. Some commenters suggested roasting the cauliflower beforehand for extra nuttiness, while others recommended adding marmite. However, one viewer argued that cauliflower must be partially cooked, saying they prefer steaming it first.
O’Toole’s method offers a simpler route to a classic side dish, cutting out an unnecessary step and delivering a reliably creamy, crisp result.
