Creamy Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Contents

Creamy Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Featured Comment
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
CREAMY BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions

The EASIEST and CREAMIEST mac and cheese made in less than 30 min! Comfort food perfection! And it is the perfect way to sneak in those greens!

Creamy Broccoli Mac and Cheese - The EASIEST and CREAMIEST mac and cheese made in less than 30 min! Comfort food perfection! And it is the perfect way to sneak in those greens!

Featured Comment

What a lovely recipe. This was a hit with my 2.5 year old. I pulverized the broccoli florets in my food processor to make it as fine as possible so it kind of melts away into the sauce. I also used Gruyère cheese; I can’t wait to make this again!

Veda

116 more comments

Greetings from Paris!!! We hopped on a flight from Indianapolis to JFK to Paris, except our luggage didn’t quite follow us all the way to France.

So we’re drowning our sorrows in croissant after croissant after croissant. It really seems to be helping.

But in the meantime, for those of you getting ready for those New Year’s resolutions, I have my favorite mac and cheese recipe to share today.

Now when I say resolutions, I’ll be eating kale and kale starting January 1st. So for these last 3 days, let’s indulge and eat our hearts out with the creamiest mac and cheese ever.

I also did you guys a favor and added broccoli.

The broccoli is good for you – promise.

TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE

Large cast iron skillet

CREAMY BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What kind of pasta can I substitute for the pasta shells?

You can substitute penne, elbow macaroni, ziti or fusilli.

Do I have to pre-cook the broccoli?

This really depends on personal preference. The broccoli florets (if chopped small) should cook through with the cheese in the last few steps but if you prefer softer broccoli, you can parboil them, adding them in during the last 5 minutes when cooking your pasta shells.

What is half and half?

Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.

Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 ounces medium pasta shells

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ⅓ cups whole milk

1 cup half and half

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups chopped broccoli florets

6 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
2. Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, half and half and Dijon until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Stir in pasta, broccoli and cheese until well combined, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Serve immediately.