Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Rich, creamy, and oh-so-cheesy, you'll love this easy baked broccoli mac and cheese!

Course Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword broccoli cheddar mac and cheese, broccoli mac and cheese, mac and cheese with broccoli

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings people

Calories 528kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. During the final 3 minutes of cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta boils, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Very gradually, whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat.
Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce. Gradually add all the Velveeta cheese and half of the cheddar cheese (¾ cup). Stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the salt, dry mustard, pepper, and nutmeg.
Add cooked, drained pasta and broccoli; stir gently to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup of grated cheddar on top.
In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs on top of the casserole.
Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping is lightly browned. If the bread crumb topping isn’t as crispy and golden brown as you’d like by the time the filling is hot, just place the dish under the broiler for a minute or two.

Boil the noodles and broccoli in very well-salted water. The salt in the water seasons the ingredients, adding flavor to the dish.

Cook the pasta just until it’s al dente — almost tender, but still firm to the bite. You don’t want to completely cook the noodles until they’re tender, because they will continue baking in the oven. Similarly, the broccoli should just be boiled until crisp-tender, since it will also continue to soften in the oven.

Allow the cheese and milk to come to room temperature before adding them to the recipe. They will blend together smoothly if they’re not cold.

Start with a block of cheddar cheese that you grate yourself at home, rather than using a bag of pre-shredded cheese from the store. The pre-shredded cheese includes stabilizers and other ingredients to prevent the cheese from clumping, which inhibits its ability to melt smoothly into the dish.

If you prefer a crispier, darker brown top on your broccoli mac and cheese bake, place the dish under the broiler during the final few minutes of baking. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it so that the top doesn’t burn.

Cooking for a bigger group? Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.