Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1, 16-ounce box macaroni or another short cut pasta
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
- 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
- In the last minute of cooking the pasta, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and boil for one minute. Strain the pasta and broccoli together and set aside.
- In the same pot that you cooked the pasta, melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and use a whisk or wooden spoon to combine.
- Cook the butter and flour mixture for 1 minute over low-medium heat to create a roux.
- Slowly, pour in the milk in a steady stream, whisking the entire time to prevent clumps. Bring the milk mixture to a low simmer, whisking frequently, until it begins to thicken. The sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, red pepper, and both cheeses.
- Stir the cooked pasta and broccoli into the cheese sauce. Toss to coat the pasta.
- Turn off the heat. Serve!
Chef’s Notes:
- Instead of macaroni noodles, use penne, rotini, rigatoni, or orecchiette!
- Use a blend of cheeses instead of just cheddar cheese.
- Grate your own cheddar cheese from the block using a box grater!
- Use frozen peas instead of broccoli.
