Ramp up the nutritional value of your ordinary mac and cheese with this fantastic Broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe. While getting the little ones to eat their veggies may be one of the most challenging things on earth, this way to sneak in some healthy broccoli is ingenious. It also gives the dish a gorgeous pop of color.
Delicious comfort food at its finest can also be good for you. Win-win!
Not only that, mac and cheese is also super easy to prepare. Add some broccoli, and you have a complete meal. Booyah!
By the way, we’re making it from scratch, so forget about the boring boxed stuff. Yum!😍
Contents…Recipe Ingredients |
Is it Hard to Make Mac and Cheese From Scratch?
There’s no doubt we’ve all made store-bought boxed mac and cheese. Guilty! So I’m not judging.
But let me tell you, it’s so making your own is so simple, and the results are ten times better, with no unpronounceable words in the ingredient list.
I mean, how hard is cooking pasta and shredding cheese?
Add some nutritious veggies, in this case, broccoli, and you have a soul-satisfying mac and cheese dinner without the guilt.
Comfort food doesn’t have to be unhealthy, don’t you agree?😉
Recipe Ingredients
Making this dish only calls for pantry staple ingredients. Below are the main ingredients that make this mac and cheese recipe truly a standout!
- Macaroni – The most crucial ingredient for broccoli mac and cheese. The recipe calls for the classic elbow pasta, but any other pasta shape you have on hand will work fine. My kiddo loved the alphabet pasta when he was a tike.
- Broccoli – Here’s the nutritious part. A few cups of fresh broccoli florets will work nicely.
- Evaporated Milk – There’s nothing like evaporated milk to add creaminess and concentrated flavor to the cheese sauce. Check out my Homemade Evaporated Milk.
- Milk – Making the perfect cheese sauce is easier with milk, and it tastes oh so good.
- Broth – Broth or stock is an excellent addition to a flavorful and nutritious sauce. You could use water or vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian version.
- Creole Seasoning – My secret ingredient adds spicy, warm, and exciting flavors to broccoli mac and cheese. And homemade Creole Seasoning is even better.
- Mozzarella – This wonderfully melty cheese gives the broccoli mac and cheese its gooeyness.
- Parmesan – The intense umami provides the pasta with a unique taste we all love. Grate your own for even better results.
- Cheddar – The third cheese to complete our recipe melts beautifully and gives our broccoli mac and cheese its signature cheesiness.
Alternative Ingredients
- Macaroni – Fusuli or other interesting-shaped pasta makes a good substitute for classic elbow-shaped macaroni. As long as the sauce has something to stick to, you’re good. If you have to eat gluten-free, you can replace it with cauliflower florets or gluten-free pasta.
- Broccoli – Any leafy green is an excellent substitute for broccoli, and they’re all equally nutritious. I especially like spinach.
- Creole Seasoning – Dried Italian Seasonings instead of Creole Seasoning to give the mac and cheese a high-end feel.
- Parmesan – Grana Padano is a hard Italian cheese that makes a perfect substitute for Parmesan if you want to get fancy, and it’s a bit milder and less salty.
Tips and Tricks
- After cooking and draining the pasta, drizzle it with olive oil to avoid sticking, and that will give you time to finish the cheese sauce.
- Use the pasta water to blanch the broccoli florets. Save time and water! 🥳
- Whisk the roux constantly while making it (flour-butter mixture). And work over low heat to prevent the butter from burning.
- Finish the broccoli mac and cheese under the broiler for a gorgeous toasty top. But be careful—it comes out scorching hot!
Serving and Storage Instructions
How to serve broccoli mac and cheese – Serve this comforting dish as a side for a thick steak, pork chops, or rotisserie chicken to complement the pasta with good-old protein.
How to store broccoli mac and cheese – Store it in an airtight BPA-free plastic container. You can keep it in the back of the fridge for up to five days.
How to reheat mac and cheese – You can grease an oven-proof casserole and reheat mac and cheese in a 375℉/190℃ oven for 20 minutes or the microwave, stirring and checking the temperature every 30 seconds until it’s as hot as you want it.
Pro Tip: Add a splash of milk and a teaspoon of butter to restore the pasta’s creaminess when reheating.
FAQs
Don’t overcook the pasta. Remember you’ll be cooking the dish more later. So drain it and set it aside right before it reaches the al dente stage.
The stuff from a box hardly has any cheese, though it’s supposed to be sharp cheddar. However, I use three types of cheese for my homemade version: mozzarella, Parmesan, and cheddar. Yum!
Broccoli has astonishing amounts of vitamin C and K, along with minerals and a whole bunch of antioxidants. It’s also really tasty!
What Goes with Broccoli Mac and Cheese?
I love to serve broccoli mac and cheese with a tomahawk steak, spicy grilled New York steak, or steak tips.
Try it with chicken too! I have a great recipe for smoked chicken breast that goes so fabuliciously with homemade mac and cheese.
More Recipes to Try
- Mac and Cheese Bites
- Chili Mac
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
How to Make Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Prepare the Pasta and Broccoli
- Cook the Pasta – Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. (Be careful not to overcook it because you’ll be baking it later. (Photos 1-4)
- Blanch the Broccoli – After removing the pasta from the water, add the broccoli to the same pot. Very efficient! 🤓 (Photos 5 & 6)
Make the Sauce
- Sauté the veggies – Melt the butter in a cast-iron pan and sauté the garlic and onions until the onions wilt. (Photos 7-9)
- Make a Roux – Whisk in the flour and continue whisking until thoroughly mixed with the onion mixture. Then cook for about a minute more to eliminate the raw flour taste. (Photo 10)
- Add the Liquids – Slowly add the evaporated milk a little at a time, followed by the milk and broth. Simmer until it thickens. (Photos 11 & 12)
- Season to Taste – Add your personalized dash of creole seasoning and cayenne pepper and continue to simmer for another minute or two. (Photos 13 & 14)
Final Assembly
- Stir in the Cheese – Throw in the cheeses and continue stirring until everything’s melted, evenly combined, and smooth. (Photo 15-17)
- Add the Pasta – Add the pasta and broccoli, then stir to combine thoroughly. (Photos 18 & 19)
- Broil – Transfer the pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish (unless using an oven-proof cast-iron pan) and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese browns up. Remove from the oven and serve warm. (Photo 20)
Watch How To Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”AWm7HljX” upload-date=”2022-01-31T07:00:00.000Z” name=”Broccoli Mac and Cheese” description=”Ramp up the nutritional value of your ordinary mac and cheese with this fantastic Broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
Broccoli Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (224 g) uncooked macaroni
- 3 cups (213 g) broccoli florets, chopped
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter, unsalted
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons (30 g) flour
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) broth, or milk
- ½-1 teaspoon (2-4 g) Creole seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
- ½ cup (50 g) mozzarella cheese, grated
- ½ cup (50 g) parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup (100 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided in half
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
The Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. (Be careful not to overcook it because you'll be baking it later.) Carefully remove pasta from the pot with a large spatula. Set aside.
The Broccoli
- After removing the pasta from the water, add the broccoli to the same pot. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
The Cheese Sauce
- Add butter to cast iron. As soon as butter melts, add garlic and onions. Saute until onions wilts—about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in flour, and continue whisking until the flour is thoroughly mixed with onion and garlic, then cook for another minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Slowly add evaporated milk a little at a time, followed by the milk and broth (you don't want any lumps).
- Simmer for about 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add the Creole seasoning and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer it gently for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cheeses and continue stirring until everything's melted, evenly combined, and smooth—salt and pepper to taste.
Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Then add the pasta and broccoli, stir until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish; top with remaining cheddar cheese. You do not have to transfer it to an oven-safe dish if you're using cast iron.
- Broil for about 3-4 or until the cheeses brown. Remove and serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- After cooking and draining the pasta, drizzle it with olive oil to avoid sticking, and that will give you time to finish the cheese sauce.
- Use the pasta water to blanch the broccoli florets. Save time and water!
- Whisk the roux constantly while making it (flour-butter mixture). And work over low heat to prevent the butter.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Leave a Review