This delicious baked macaroni & cheese with broccoli is a healthy make-over of the classic casserole. But with its crunchy golden brown breadcrumb topping and uber-creamy cheese sauce you won’t miss a thing. This is a family weeknight dinner favorite and is ready in just 45 minutes!

Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli in a white casserole dish

I originally shared this recipe on January 11, 2011. I have updated the images and some of the text today. This post contains affiliate links.

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Why We Love This Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Here is my cheesy, ooey, gooey Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli. It is comforting (and healthy) for a mid-week dinner. Honestly, my family loves it so much they request it for special occasions too, like for their birthday dinners. I even made it one year for Valentine’s Day baked in a heart-shaped baking dish.

With it’s creamy cheesiness, I don’t even think they know how healthy mac and cheese with broccoli is. In addition to being kid-friendly, i love that it requires no planning because the ingredients are always on hand.

Recipe Highlights For Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese

  • No butter or roux
  • The delicious crunchy golden breadcrumb topping of baked mac and cheese with broccoli is arguably the best part
  • Can be made with fresh or frozen broccoli
  • Works with other veggies like edamame or cauliflower too!
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Ingredient Notes

Chop broccoli.
  • Whole-wheat Macaroni: You can use regular macaroni, gluten-free, whole-wheat or another small shape pasta like shells for this cheesy macaroni and broccoli casserole
  • Broccoli crown or frozen chopped broccoli
  • Milk: Use what you drink. We buy skim but any will work
  • Kitchen Staples: dry breadcrumbs, flour and extra-virgin olive oil
  • Seasonings: Paprika, Garlic Powder, salt and pepper (either white or black pepper)
  • Dijon Mustard: A little mustard helps to boost the flavor of the sauce
  • Extra-sharp cheddar cheese

How To Make Broccoli Mac and Cheese

To maximize your time, get all your ducks in a row! Start boiling the water right from the get-go, and get your oven pre-heated. Then coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Since they can take a while to heat up, if you start that before you start chopping and measuring, you’ll save a bit of time in the end.

Cook The Pasta and Add The Broccoli

add broccoli to the pot
Drain the pasta and broccoli

When making a baked mac and cheese recipe it’s important to undercook the pasta a little so that it can continue cooking as it bakes in the sauce. When the water boils cook add the macaroni and set a timer for 4 minutes less than the package instructions.

Add the raw fresh broccoli and continue cooking for 2 minutes longer until the pasta is slightly undercooked (the broccoli should be bright green and crisp-tender.) Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. {The frozen broccoli can be added in a later step.}

Make Cheddar Cheese Sauce

whisk slurry
whisk slurry into the hot milk

Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce. Heat 2 cups milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often until steaming hot. Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup cold milk, flour, Dijon, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium bowl until completely smooth.

Whisk the flour mixture into the steaming milk and bring to a simmer whisking often until smooth and thickened. It’s important to keep stirring and whisking at this point to keep the sauce from becoming lumpy. Only after it thickens, remove it from the heat.

Combine Sauce, Macaroni and Broccoli

add cheese to sauce
add sauce to the pasta mixture

While the sauce is hot, stir in the cheese until it is melted. {If using the frozen thawed broccoli stir it into the cheese sauce.} Mix the pasta and cheddar cheese sauce together. Note, this will seem really saucy at this point, but as it bakes the sauce will absorb into the pasta for that perfect creamy texture. Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Make Crunchy Baked Topping

stirring breadcrumbs and spices
the macaroni and cheese before it is baked

Stir together breadcrumbs, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic powder in a small bowl. Drizzle in olive oil and stir until completely combined. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and transfer to the oven. Bake until the pasta is bubbling and the topping is golden and crunchy, 15 to 20 minutes.

the casserole from the side

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can broccoli mac and cheese be made ahead?

Yes. Prepare the macaroni and cheese, but do not add the topping and do not bake it. Cover with foil and refrigerate up to 2 days. Bake, covered until steaming hot, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and add on the topping. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the topping is crunchy and golden brown. Test with an instant-read thermometer to check that it is hot all the way through. It should be 165 degrees F in the center.

How To Reheat

Place an individual serving of mac and cheese with broccoli on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a paper towel or parchment paper. Microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes or until piping hot. Let stand for 1 minute before enjoying. Alternatively, place a serving or servings into a small casserole dish and bake until hot all the way through. Test with an instant-read thermometer to check. It should be 165 degrees F in the center.

What goes with Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese?

Serve with an orange or yellow veggie such as these Garlic Butter Cooked Baby Carrots or Steamed Butternut Squash with Garlic and Herbs. We also like it with Garden Salad or Lacinato Kale Caesar Salad.

Variations To Try

  • Add in your favorite protein: Try leftover chicken, chicken sausage or browned crumbled ground beef
  • Use a blend of cheeses: Instead of just cheddar, try adding in other cheeses such as gruyere, gouda, fontina and Parmesan.
  • Use a different veggie: Any quick-cooking veggie will work in this recipe. Chop up 4 cups and add with the water. For harder veggies, add them to the pasta a little earlier to give them a little more time to soften. Cauliflower is a great option!
  • Make it stove top: Our Stove-top Macaroni and Cheese with Kale is very similar to this recipe, except we skipped the breadcrumb topping baking step. You can do the same here! Just make sure to cook the pasta completely.
the casserole from overhead with a scoop removed

More Comfort Food Make-Overs

a scoop of cheesy pasta bake with cheese pull

Vegetable Pasta Bake
A close up of a pale pink bowl with spiral pasta and chicken alfredo with broccoli

Healthy Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
two bowls of chicken a la king up close

Easy Creamy Chicken a la King
a white platter with chicken piccata, noodles and a bottle of wine

Healthy Chicken Piccata
Two bowls of Beef Stew on a table.

Quick Ground Beef Stew
close up of chicken paprika

Healthy Chicken Paprika

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli | Vegetarian | Whole Grain | Casserole | Kid Friendly | Comfort Food |Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli

★★★★★

4.7 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Description

This delicious baked macaroni & cheese with broccoli is a healthy make-over of the classic casserole. With its crunchy golden brown breadcrumb topping and uber-creamy cheese sauce you won’t miss a thing. This is a family weeknight dinner favorite and is ready in just 45 minutes!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 -ounces whole-wheat macaroni, about 3 cups, uncooked
  • 1 large broccoli crown, chopped (about 4 cups) or 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
  • 2 1/2 cups milk, preferably non-fat, divided
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
  • Crumb topping
  • 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see ingredient note*)
  • 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. When water boils cook macaroni 4 minutes less than package instructions. Add the raw fresh broccoli if using (the frozen broccoli goes in later if you are using that.) Continue cooking for 2 minutes longer until the pasta is slightly undercooked (the broccoli should be bright green and crisp tender.) Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.
  3. Meanwhile prepare cheese sauce. Heat 2 cups milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often until steaming hot. Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup cold milk, flour, Dijon, 3/4 teaspoon salt and white pepper in a medium bowl until completely smooth. Whisk the flour mixture into the steaming milk and bring to a simmer whisking often until smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. If using the frozen thawed broccoli stir it into the cheese sauce.
  4. Stir the cheese sauce into the pasta. Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Stir together breadcrumbs, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic powder in a small bowl. Drizzle in olive oil and stir until completely combined. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta and transfer to the oven. Bake until the pasta is bubbling and the topping is golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes

8 mg cholesterol, 0 g added sugars

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Stove Top/ Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
  • Calories: 401
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Sodium: 744 mg
  • Fat: 7.4 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 62.6 g
  • Fiber: 9.5 g
  • Protein: 20.5 g

Keywords: Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli,Baked Macaroni and Cheese,Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

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