Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Shells full of creamy cheese sauce make broccoli a very welcome dinner companion. This is a bowl you can get comfortable with, catching a little green floret between bites of pasta.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Whisk the flour into butter
Combine the flour with melted butter briefly before whisking in water, keeping the first mixture smooth.
2. Stir while pasta cooks
Give the shells an occasional stir as they simmer in the seasoned milk mixture until the pasta is done.
3. Lower heat for cheddar
Turn the heat to low before stirring in the shredded cheese, then keep stirring until the sauce is smooth.
Get to know the ingredients
Uncooked medium shells
The shells go into the liquid uncooked and simmer directly in it, rather than boiling in a separate pot.
Steamed broccoli florets
The broccoli is already steamed before joining the finished cheese sauce at the end, so have it ready.
Shredded cheddar
Shred the cheddar before its final addition, ready to stir into the pot over low heat until smooth.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Broccoli after the cheese melts
Once the sauce is smooth, stir in the steamed broccoli florets and serve the pasta with the vegetables mixed through.
A little more help as you go
Milk follows water
Whisk the water into the butter-flour base until smooth and just thickened, then whisk in the milk.
Add the spices with pasta
Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and pepper join the shells before the liquid comes to a simmer.
A few questions you might have
Do I drain the pasta after simmering?
The shells cook in the sauce liquid here. Once done, lower the heat and stir in cheese, without a draining stage.
Is the broccoli raw when added?
Steamed florets are specified. They join only after the cheddar has melted and the sauce is smooth.
Does the recipe need an oven finish?
The written finish is on the stovetop: melt in the cheddar, stir in broccoli and serve directly from the pot.
What kind of paprika is used?
Smoked paprika is listed, added with the other seasonings and uncooked shells before simmering the pasta.
When should the sauce become smooth?
Whisk it smooth when adding water, then stir until smooth again after adding cheddar over low heat near the end.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
