Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
We’ve harvested alot of broccoli this season. Every single plant produced a beautiful big head of broccoli. You guys know I love broccoli already, but do you know I love macaroni and cheese too? Macaroni and cheese is a comfort food and it holds dear memories of my father making me dinner every single day he was home from work during high school. He knew I loved that mac and cheese so he made it once a week, I was a very happy girl. Thanks Dad!
So what happens when you mix comfort food with happy harvest? You get one of my favorite broccoli dishes: Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese. I love macaroni and cheese of all sorts. I’m fine with the box, I’m super fine with homemade. I’m fine with it made with cheese that comes in a foil package (Where my Velveeta fans at?), I’m super fine with a baked version. This recipe is a in between, yes it’s baked, but the inside of the dish is still soft and cheesy and gooey. It’s just perfect, the best of both worlds.
So if you like mac and cheese and you like broccoli, this dish is for you!
Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup elbow macaroni
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Boil water and cook macaroni as instructed on box. When there is 3 minutes left, add your broccoli to the boiling pot. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan melt your butter over medium heat. Slowly add flour, dry mustard and pepper until it's smooth.
- Add your milk slowly and keep stirring until it's smooth.
- Add in your cheese and continue to stir until it's smooth.
- Take off burner.
- Add your macaroni to cheese mixture saucepan and stir until all noodles are coated.
- Transfer your mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
- Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly.
- Enjoy!
We have a big bag right now full of broccoli. Every time I open it I just smile and breathe in the scent of broccoli.
For this recipe, you need 4 cups of florets. I leave mine pretty big.
For this, we’re going to cook our macaroni, then when there’s 3 minutes left we’re going to throw our broccoli in too. This means only one pot to clean. High 5.
Drain and set aside for a few minutes.
Hello cheese. I love you so much. I like to use 2 different versions of cheese for this recipe so I use good ol Velveeta and Monterey Jack.
Shred it however you want. I was lazy so I put it in my food processor.
Now we want to start to make the cheese sauce so get your butter melted.
Then add in your flour, dry mustard and pepper. You’ll want to mix quickly until it’s smooth.
Then add your water and keep stirring.
Then your beautiful cheese. This take a few minutes for it to melt, but keep stirring.
Great job, some yummy cheese sauce there.
Take your macaroni and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce.
Perfect!
Transfer to a baking dish.
You can see here it’s still pretty soupy, but this cheese is going to melt beautifully and hold it all together.
Add your bread crumbs and into the oven it goes…
And out pops out this beautiful dinner after 20 minutes!
The bread crumbs are just slightly golden brown, just how I like them.
And see how the cheese all melted together and it’s no longer too wet, instead it’s gooey and cheesy and oh my!
Serve some up. You can add some bread on the side if you’d like too. Who doesn’t like bread on the side?
And enjoy this broccoli macaroni and cheese!
This looks sooo delicious. We eat broccoli more than any other vegetable, and I love a good mac n cheese. This is my idea of a rainy sunday kind of meal…I actually hope we have one of those soon so I can make this!
Jaclyn, I never thought I would say this.. but I hope it rains on Sunday for you! 🙂
A divine recipe, Pamela! It looks smashing & truly tasty too! MMMMMMMM!
Thanks Sophie!
I made it this evening & my husband Peter & I loved it so much, my dear friend! It was superb!!!!!! X
That makes me so happy, thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Yay!! got this post. Looks absolutely delicious. I love mac and cheese and adding broccoli makes it even more wonderful! So glad to see I am not the only one that uses velveeta or those kraft singles along with other cheeses. Makes it so creamy and delicious.
I’m a Velveeta fan for life! High 5.
Oooh holy crap…
Yum Yum Yum!
I think I’m drooling! Looks great lady!!
Warning: this will make you drool! 🙂 🙂
I looooove broccoli in my mac and cheese 🙂 Makes comfort food extra delicious. I’ve never tried putting dry mustard in my mac and cheese, but I know a lot of people do– I think I’ll have to be a little more adventurous next time I make it!
The dry mustard gives it a little bit of a extra kick, it’s really good! Hope you enjoy Kelly!
It looks creamy, decadent, and delicious. I love the broccoli in there.
Thanks Pam!
I have a weakness for mac & cheese and can never say no to them. Love the broccoli addition. I won’t feel so guilty about eating a big bowl of it. Thanks for sharing your recipe Pamela. 🙂
Hahaha, broccoli automatically makes it healthy, right? 😉
This looks irresistibly good. Love this oozy and creamy mac and cheese. The addition of your garden broccoli makes this even more mouthwatering 🙂
Thanks Kelly! Love that creamy goodness!
We can eat mac n cheese all day every day.. Hands down our favorite dish!! YUM!
I love it too!
Ultimate comfort food!
You got it! Thank you mac and cheese!
Ok, this looks amazing and so gooey and cheesy! Mac and cheese is the one thing that I have never made for my kiddos (homemade that is). I think I need to though! I love that you used a curly pasta rather than the traditional elbow macaroni. There’s just more nooks and crannies to absorb all that cheese. Ok, your broccoli looks so much better than any broccoli I have seen at the farmers market. I think your vegetables do so well because they are treated with such love and sung to! Happy Monday to you girl ! My site has been going down on and off all day and I’m frustrated! Not a happy Monday for Marin mama 😉 xoxo,Jackie
I hope you make it.. and I hope that your family loves it! And totally agreed, the more nooks that cheese can go into, so it can then go into my mouth, the happier I am. Cheese, isn’t it wonderful?
Hope your Monday gets better! PS. Your smores were requested 2 nights in a row! 🙂
This looks so yummy! I love putting broccoli in macaroni and cheese, but I haven’t made it for ages. After seeing your delicious looking photos, I think I’m going to have to make it one night this week!
I hope you have a lovely mac and cheese dinner this week! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! We got lots of broccoli from our CSA this week and your recipe seems like the perfect way to use it (I had been thinking of broccoli soup. But this would be so much better).
I loved Mac ‘n Cheese as a kid, but ONLY the Kraft kind. I can distinctly remember one time when my grandmother (fabulous cook) was babysitting me while my parents were away. I requested Mac ‘n Cheese for dinner and was expecting the orange stuff that comes out of a box. She made a version with béchamel, mustard, bread crumbs, and about six kinds of cheese…and I didn’t like it, at all. I ate it, of course, but I was so disappointed not to have gotten the Kraft kind. I hope my taste buds have matured by now : )
I have a awesome broccoli soup that I will posting.. probably in the fall when it gets chillier.. be on the lookout! It will knock your socks off! If you need it sooner, just ask and I will give it to you!
Lovely mac and cheese your grandmother made you… sounds divine!
I can’t eat mac and cheese anymore (the gluten and dairy thing…sigh), but back in the day, that was a staple for me. And I LOVED to add broccoli to it. I was more of a Kraft girl back then also, but even boxed mac and cheese seemed more gourmet with brocooli in it. Also? Salsa. Don’t knock it til you try it.
Kraft is delicious too, I welcome all mac and cheese with open loving arms!
Beautiful! I love the incorporation of seasonal broccoli with this traditional dish! What a great way to encourage healthy foods for kids – and adults! Very nicely done.
Thanks Dan! I think this could be a family favorite. 🙂
Oh My! My mouth is watering right now. Just saved this for future use 🙂
Hahaha, hope you enjoy Danielle!
I love that this is baked but is still ooey-gooey in the middle!
Hey Faith – best of both worlds, right?
I honestly didn’t realize people still cooked with Velveeta – I thought only Baby Boomers such as myself were Velveeta fans. There’s nothing like Velveeta for creaminess – and I love that you also add Monterey Jack, another of my “faves”. Do you remember when Velveeta was selling a “Mexican” version of Velveeta? It made the BEST hot dip!! (This was in the ’80’s – I used to make it all the time and everyone loved it.)
I love Velveeta! I grew up on Velveeta boxed mac and cheese, so I love it all ways. I googled the Mexican version and it turns out they still sell it! I have to be on the lookout..
Your photos are making me hungry!! Looks delicious, although I think I may substitute the Velveeta with some real cheddar or something else. But I love the broccoli addition. Pamela, I really enjoy your blog and I nominated you on my blog today for the Liebster Award! http://www.melindadiorio.com/2013/06/liebster-award-nomination-nominees.html
I’m glad they make you hungry, nom nom nom!
Thanks Melinda! HUGS! Will check this out.. really like this idea. 🙂
This is one of my favorite ways to eat m&c. Adding something green to all that cheese makes me feel a little better about eating it. I usually add steamed broccoli and carrots to my fettucini alfredo too 🙂
I think adding a bit of vegetables to pasta always makes it yummier. Love adding broccoli and carrots! Yum!
I love the combination of broccoli and cheese. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good mac and cheese recipe? Perfect comfort food! I’m saving this recipe for a day when I need a comforting cheesy meal!
Great to her Amanda, I hope you have one comforting cheesy day! 🙂
MMM, baby. I love broccolli in cheese sauce, I love mac n cheese; you KNOW i’m going to love this. Kudos to you on maintaining the perfect balance of gooey insides and crispy top!
Thanks Sarah! Goo balance is so important! 🙂
Love the clear, vibrant pictures. And I always swoon at the sight of mac & cheese. I’m a fan!
Thanks Monica!
This looks gorgeous Pamela, I love baked pasta recipes (particularly with broccoli, best vegetable ever!)
Broccoli is a winner for sure! Thanks Joy!
I seriously LOVE broccoli, so this baked mac and cheese situation is right up my ally! Love it! xo
Broccoli love forever! 🙂
Oooh I love broc mac n cheese… I have one on my site too!
Yummy!
[…] baked broccoli macaroni and cheese. Adding broccoli to macaroni and cheese makes it healthy, […]
In the oven right now! Smells and looks amazing! So creamy!!!
Enjoy this mac and cheese Carolyn!
[…] is perfect? The combo of broccoli and cheddar cheese! I love these 2 ingredients combined for macaroni and cheese, creamy soup, casseroles and everything else so they make the perfect best friends to create […]