Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe made with cooked elbow macaroni noodles, fresh broccoli florets, butter, flour, milk, chicken broth, and shredded cheddar cheese. Broccoli makes such a great flavor addition to macaroni and cheese, you simply have to try this one!

Broccoli mac and cheese is such an interesting flavor combination, but it just works so well! If you and your family enjoy broccoli cheese soup, you will all absolutely love this version of macaroni and cheese.

This makes a wonderful side dish to so many main dishes! Most recently I served this with BBQ chicken drumsticks. It was wonderful and there were zero leftovers of this mac and cheese. That’s how you know for sure your family enjoys it!

Do I need fresh or frozen broccoli for this recipe?

You’ll need fresh broccoli florets for this mac and cheese.

Can I substitute frozen?

I wouldn’t recommend this because frozen broccoli has a lot more water and I would think it would just water down the cheese sauce too much.

What’s in this recipe:

To make this recipe, you’ll need: elbow macaroni, fresh broccoli florets (I save time and buy them in bags), butter, flour, milk, chicken broth, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, shredded cheddar cheese, and paprika.

Could dairy free milk and cheese be used?

You could certainly try it! I would think the sauce won’t thicken up as much as typical dairy milk and cheese does.

How to make this recipe:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot on the stove. Stir in the elbow macaroni noodles. Boil for 2 minutes. Then, stir in the fresh broccoli florets. Continue cooking until the macaroni noodles are soft. Drain the noodles and broccoli, return it to the pot, cover, and set aside for a few minutes.

2. Melt butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet. Whisk in flour – this mixture will be clumpy!

3. Whisk in the milk and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until this mixture is thickened. Be sure to whisk constantly during this step so that it doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan!

4. Add in the shredded cheese, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to the skillet. Stir well until the cheese is completely melted. This is a great time to taste test the cheese sauce and add a little more salt if needed.

5. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and broccoli in the large pot. Transfer the mixture to a glass baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with paprika.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until bubbly at the edges. Cool for a few minutes before serving!

Can chicken be added to this recipe?

Sure! I would add grilled or cooked chicken, cut into one inch pieces. Add the chicken in once the cheese sauce is combined with the macaroni. The addition of cooked chicken would certainly make this dish a full meal all in itself – yum!

Leftover storage directions:

Be sure to store any leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator. Be sure to consume any leftovers within 3 days.

Freezer storage directions:

This side is completely freezer friendly! Cover the dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed in the recipe instructions. It may need a few extra minutes in the oven if it was still cold!

More recipes you’ll love:

• Cream of Broccoli Soup
• Taco Mac Casserole
• Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
• Chicken Mac and Cheese
• Broccoli Cheddar Chowder

If you liked this recipe, leave a rating and a comment below this post!

Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Broccoli Mac & Cheese recipe made with elbow macaroni, broccoli, minced onion, butter, flour, cheddar cheese, and Dijon mustard.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: recipe for broccoli mac and cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 407kcal

Author: Kelly Miller

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
• ▢ 3 cups broccoli florets
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup flour
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ 1 cup chicken broth
• ▢ 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• Fill a stockpot with water and bring to a boil.
• Add the uncooked macaroni and stir in the broccoli florets for the last 6 minutes of cooking.
• Drain and return back to the pot. In a large skillet, melt butter.
• Whisk in flour until well combined.
• While continuing to whisk, stir in the milk and the chicken broth.
• Allow the sauce to come to a boil, and keep boiling for 2 minutes, whisking during this time while the sauce thickens.
• Add the minced onion, cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper and stir until cheese is melted.
• Remove from heat and pour over the macaroni and broccoli.
• Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish and sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let the dish rest for 10 minutes (sauce will thicken more as it stands).

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1098IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 497mg | Iron: 2mg

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