This BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE makes a great side dish or can be served as a dinner. Perfect for getting the kids to eat more veggies.
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This is how I snuck a ton of veggies to my daughter when she was going through her picky eater phases. She’d eat pretty much anything that was surrounded by Mac and cheese – and broccoli is the absolute best in Mac and cheese.
In fact, the entire family will enjoy this dish, not just the kids. It is great as a side dish or as a meal. Filling enough as is or you can add cooked chicken to the mixture before baking.
INGREDIENT OPTIONS:
- Use your preferred pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Frozen broccoli florets can be used – thaw and drain first.
- Blue cheese is totally optional – feel free to omit.
- Onions can be omitted.
- Add cooked chicken before baking to make this a full meal.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE:
BAKED TRI TIP – SLOPPY JOE SLIDERS – BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN
BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE
This BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE makes a great side dish or can be served as a dinner. Perfect for getting the kids to eat more veggies.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pasta shells (It can be replaced with another pasta)
- 3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium-sized broccoli)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 1 garlic cloves (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 11/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (shredded) + for topping
- ½ cup of Cheddar (shredded) + for topping
- 2 tbsp blue cheese (crushed) - optional
- 1 cup of cream cheese
- 3tbsp unsalted butter
- 1tsp oregano
- ½ tsp smoked pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions.
- In a steamer, add the broccoli. Place on a stove over medium heat and cover with a lid. Let it cook for about 8-10 minutes.
Test the broccoli for softness with a fork. Broccoli should not be so soft it's falling apart. - Note: If you don't have a steamer, you can do this step in a pot of water. Bring water to a boil. Place the broccoli in the boiling water for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Remove from water into a bowl and set aside.
- Add unsalted butter to large pot over medium heat. Let the butter melt - do not let burn. If necessary, reduce the heat to low.
- Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Stir occasionally.
- Add the cream cheese, blue cheese and spices. Stir occasionally until the cream cheese is melted. Then add the heavy cream. Let the cream warm. Add mozzarella and cheddar. Stir constantly until you get a creamy texture and the cheeses begin to melt.
- Remove from the heat and add creamy sauce to the pasta. Stir well until combined. Add the broccoli and mix.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Transfer broccoli mac and cheese to an oven safe casserole dish. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella and cheddar then bake in for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Notes
If you think the sauce is too thick, add a little milk.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 1120Total Fat 106gSaturated Fat 66gTrans Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 325mgSodium 519mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 4gSugar 10gProtein 20g
Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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