Make this easy One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese for a creamy and cheesy comfort food. All it takes is 15 minutes and you'll have a luscious stovetop dinner!
With macaroni, cauliflower, broccoli, and flavorful cheddar, this is a healthy and filling take on mac and cheese the whole family will devour. You'll love the harmony of savory flavors that you can achieve with just five ingredients!
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💚 About This Recipe
As healthy as it is comforting, this 5-ingredient broccoli mac n cheese is your new favorite weeknight dinner! The best part is you can make it all in the same pot, and it's ready in less than 30 minutes.
With a combination of broccoli and riced cauliflower, there's plenty of hidden nutrition folded into a creamy cheese sauce. You can even include easy additions of protein or additional veggies to make it even more hearty!
Along with this Crock Pot Buffalo Mac and Cheese, this is one of my family's favorite twists on traditional mac and cheese!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- milk - feel free to use whatever kind of milk you typically buy for your family, though I do recommend using a dairy milk of some kind if possible.
- elbow pasta - this is a classic option for any mac and cheese dish, but other kinds of pasta can be substituted if you prefer.
- riced cauliflower - adds a filling and hearty aspect to this dish without doing much to alter the flavor.
- broccoli - provides pops of gorgeous green color and lots of nutrition.
- cheddar jack cheese - gives your broccoli mac n cheese a perfectly melty and cheesy finish!
🔪 Instructions
- Boil the milk in a large pot, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot to avoid burning.
- Stir in the macaroni and riced cauliflower.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the broccoli and cook another 4 to 6 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the cheese.
- Stir until entirely melted and everything is covered in cheese.
❔ FAQs
While some find it delicious on its own, cheese is a great way to dress up broccoli and make it more kid-friendly. The yummy and melty texture of the cheese makes it so tasty, even the pickiest eaters won't mind eating their veggies!
Sharp cheddar cheese is a classic option, especially as a pairing with broccoli. Other good cheeses to use for this one pot broccoli pasta include Parmesan, Monterey Jack, or for something more elevated and sophisticated, Brie, Grueye, or Gouda.
It is commonly found in the vegetable section of the freezer aisle at most grocery stores. You can also make your own by cutting a head of fresh cauliflower into florets and pulsing in a food processor until they resemble rice grains.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Keep an eye on the pasta and how cooked it is. It's easy to overcook pasta, which can then become mushy when you add the cheese. You want a nice al dente.
- If you find the mac and cheese too thick, add a bit more milk and stir until it's well incorporated.
- Make the sauce creamier by using something like whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half instead of low fat options.
- For even better results, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese tends to not melt as well as fresh grated cheese.
📌 With the perfect combination of comforting cheesy flavor and healthy veggies, this broccoli cheddar mac and cheese is ready in under half an hour for the perfect weeknight dinner!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Use other shapes of pasta like rotini, cavatappi, shells, farfalle (bow tie pasta), or anything you prefer. Be aware that cooking time might vary based on the size of the pasta.
- This recipe is great if you like something simple, but feel free to add a protein like cooked chicken or crispy bacon.
- Other great mix-ins include roasted garlic, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, Dijon mustard, mushrooms, or spinach.
- You can also add seasonings like rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or mustard powder.
- Top your mac and cheese with bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, hot sauce, or crushed crackers. You can even make your own yummy breadcrumbs with the tips in this article on what to do with stale bread!
- For an even creamier result, mix in some cream cheese or sour cream.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Allow your one-pot broccoli mac n cheese to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, either cook in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, or heat in a pot on the stove top. You may have to add a bit more milk.
You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge for at least a few hours, or overnight if possible, before following the same reheating instructions listed above.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
If you prefer to buy fresh broccoli as an entire head, you can rinse and chop it ahead of time so it's easy to throw it in the pot when it comes time to make your broccoli cheddar mac and cheese. I recommend dabbing it as dry as possible and storing in some kind of airtight container, either in the fridge or the freezer.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
If you want to pair your one pot broccoli pasta with another healthy side dish, serve with a side of Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, a light and refreshing Cucumber Salad, these super easy Air Fryer Green Beans, or a tasty Vegetarian Kale Caesar Salad.
✔️ More One Pot Recipes You'll Love
- Creamy One Skillet Smothered Chicken Thighs - With a homemade gravy, this hearty and comforting dish is easy to make and clean up!
- One Pot Meatball Stroganoff - Pair tender pasta with delicious meatballs for a family-favorite dish.
- Easy One Skillet Stuffed Cabbage Casserole - Featuring ground beef and healthy cabbage, this one pot casserole is a much easier way to prepare classic stuffed cabbage.
- Apple Dump Cake - This easy one-pot dessert from Amanda's Cookin is the perfect way to create a simple and sweet confection!
Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese
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📋 Recipe Card
One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 ½ cups milk
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni (1 package)
- 1 cup riced cauliflower (optional)
- 2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
Instructions
- Place the milk in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.5 ½ cups milk
- While the milk is heating, microwave the broccoli florets for about 2 minutes on high (to soften fresh florets or thaw frozen florets).
- Stir in the macaroni and riced cauliflower, then bring back to a boil.16 ounces elbow macaroni, 1 cup riced cauliflower
- Cook about 5 minutes, stirring very frequently.
- Add the broccoli florets and cook another 4-6 minutes, until the pasta is done. There will still be some liquid in the pot.2 cups broccoli florets
- Remove from the heat. Add the cheese and mix until completely melted.3 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
Notes
- You can use any shape of pasta that you prefer.
- Be careful to not overcook the pasta as overcooked pasta can easily become mushy when you stir in the cheese.
- For a creamier sauce, use whole milk or half-and-half instead of lower-fat options. This adds richness to the mac and cheese.
- If the mac and cheese is too thick, place the pot back over low heat, add some additional milk, and stir to incorporate. Repeat if necessary.
- This is a rather basic recipe, but there are so many things you can do to customize it! Here are some add-ins you can try:
- Cooked bacon
- Caramelized onions
- Roasted garlic
- Thyme, rosemary, or parsley
- Nutmeg
- Dijon mustard
- Red pepper flakes
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Cooked mushrooms or spinach
- Bread crumbs or crushed butter crackers (sprinkle on top)
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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veenaazmanov says
Thanks for a reminder to this delicious One Pot Meal. Cauliflower and Brocolli are my favorite veggies so I love this combination for a Mac and cheese recipe. Thanks for a reminder to the additional ideas and add ins to this dish.
Andrea says
Quick, easy, hearty and wonderful comfort food at its finest.
TAYLER ROSS says
I absolutely love one pot meals! This looks like one my family would love- making it for dinner tonight!
rebecca says
such a great and easy recipe! I love anything in one pan
Beth says
This looks so good, and I love how easy it is. We're having burgers tonight, and this is going to be the side. Yum!