This Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe is about to be your new favorite recipe for Meatless Monday! It's creamy, delicious and seriously easy to make- and best of all, ready in under an hour!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Baked Broccoli Macaroni And Cheese
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Mac And Cheese With Broccoli
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Broccoli And Cheese Pasta
- What To Serve With Broccoli Cheddar Pasta
- Other Delicious Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe
Why You'll Love Baked Broccoli Macaroni And Cheese
As far as I'm concerned, you can give me alllllll the homemade mac and cheese recipes and I will happily try them all! Variety is the spice of life and with that in mind, I figured why not make an easy variation of my Baked Mac and Cheese recipe?
This is seriously creamy with tender/crisp (but not overcooked) broccoli and a deliciously crispy crust with a little bit of crunch. And best of all, the only real work is making the cheese sauce- and even that is super simple! Here's why I love it:
- Simple ingredients
- Ready in under 1 hour
- Family-friendly- a great way to get kids to eat veggies
- Cozy and Comforting
- Creamy and decadent without being too heavy
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Pasta- My pasta of choice for this is medium shells, but any small pasta works- like elbows!
- Broccoli- I used frosh but if you plan to use frozen then you can skip the blanching step.
- Roux- You'll make a roux with butter and flour to thicken your cheese sauce. I prefer salted butter for added flavor.
- Milk- I used milk as the sauce base to make this creamy without being overly rich. I prefer whole milk. You can use half and half or heavy cream if you want, but it'll be much richer.
- Seasonings- A combination of Kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg round out the flavors.
- Cheese- It's not mac and cheese without a healthy dose of shredded cheese. I prefer sharp cheddar for this but you could also use Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella or any combo of these. If you grate it yourself, it melts easier, but pre-grated works just fine as well.
- Seasoned Panko- Any great baked macaroni and cheese needs a deliciously crispy topping, so seasoned Panko adds just the right amount of crunch and flavor.
How To Make Mac And Cheese With Broccoli
Step 1- Blanch broccoli and melt butter.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small pan of boiling water, blanch broccoli for 2 minutes before draining and plunging into an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
While you blanch the broccoli, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium size saucepan.
Step 2- Make a roux.
Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour until no lumps remain. Cook the roux, whisking often for 2 minutes.
Step 3- Make the sauce.
Whisk in the milk and all the seasonings and stir continuously until the sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
While you make the sauce, boil the pasta in salted water 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente. Drain well.
Step 4- Add the cheese to the sauce.
Turn off the heat and stir 2 cups of shredded cheese into the sauce until it's fully melted and smooth.
Step 5- Add the pasta and broccoli.
Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the baking pan.
Step 6- Top and bake.
Sprinkle remaining cheese and seasoned Panko in an even layer on top of the mac and cheese and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Cool for a few minutes and devour.
Frequently Asked Questions
In an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This can be reheated in the oven or microwave but is best served right away.
I use an 11" x 7" or a 2 quart casserole dish.
Sure, just skip the blanching step and add it frozen so it doesn't overcook and get mushy.
Yes, I'd encourage you to freeze this before baking. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, well-covered. When you're ready to make it, thaw over night and bake. Be aware, the pasta could get a mushy texture.
Tips For Making Broccoli And Cheese Pasta
- Cook the pasta a bit less than al dente- which is about 2 minutes less than the al dente cooking time listed on the package to prevent your cooked macaroni from getting mushy.
- Cook the roux for a couple minutes- you want to make sure to cook the raw flour flavor out before adding the liquid.
- until smooth and the cheese is melted.
- Don't use too high heat for the sauce- make sure you cook the sauce over medium heat because the milk will scald if the heat is too high.
- You'll know the sauce is ready for the cheese because it will coat the back of a spoon. Then you'll turn off the heat, add the shredded cheese and whisk
- Shredding cheese yourself is the best way to get it to melt nicely, but store bought pre shredded cheese works fine too.
- If you don't want a crispy topping just hold off from adding the cheese and panko topping until 5 minutes before the end of the total cooking time.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- shred the cheese, blanch the broccoli.
- Leftovers and storage- This is best served right away, but will last up to 5 days covered in the fridge. Reheat individual potions in the microwave.
What To Serve With Broccoli Cheddar Pasta
I love to serve this along side a green salad and these recipes also pair nicely with it:
Other Delicious Mac and Cheese Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium shell pasta, cooked 2 minutes less than the al dente cooking time on the package
- 2 cups diced fresh broccoli
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper,
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Pinch ground nutmeg
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
- ⅓ cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place broccoli into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes before draining and plunging into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well and set aside.
- In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until no lumps remain. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking often.
- Whisk in milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg. Cook for 5-7 minutes continuously whisking (to prevent the milk from scalding) until thickened.
- Turn off the heat and add 2 cups shredded cheese. Whisk until smooth and the cheese is melted. Mix well with cooked pasta and broccoli.
- Pour the pasta mixture into an 11" x 7" baking pan. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheddar cheese and panko bread crumbs.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, cool for a few minutes and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cook the pasta a bit less than al dente- which is about 2 minutes less than the al dente cooking time listed on the package to prevent your cooked macaroni from getting mushy.
- Cook the roux for a couple minutes- you want to make sure to cook the raw flour flavor out before adding the liquid.
- until smooth and the cheese is melted.
- Don't use too high heat for the sauce- make sure you cook the sauce over medium heat because the milk will scald if the heat is too high.
- You'll know the sauce is ready for the cheese because it will coat the back of a spoon. Then you'll turn off the heat, add the shredded cheese and whisk
- Shredding cheese yourself is the best way to get it to melt nicely, but store bought pre shredded cheese works fine too.
- If you don't want a crispy topping just hold off from adding the cheese and panko topping until 5 minutes before the end of the total cooking time.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- shred the cheese, blanch the broccoli.
- Leftovers and storage- This is best served right away, but will last up to 5 days covered in the fridge. Reheat individual potions in the microwave.
Leave a Reply