White Cheddar Broccoli Mac & Cheese

close up of white cheddar broccoli mac and cheese.

White Cheddar Broccoli Mac & Cheese

This stovetop white cheddar broccoli mac & cheese is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with tender broccoli! It's an easy, kid-friendly, weeknight meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 579kcal

Author Kyleigh Sage

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces short pasta
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 ½ cups half & half substitute whole milk
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard optional
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
8 ounces white cheddar cheese shredded*

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Grate the block of white cheddar cheese and set aside.
Cook pasta in heavily salted water according to package directions (I recommend cooking 1-2 minutes less than the box time so it's slightly al dente).
Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized florets. While the pasta is cooking, you can steam the broccoli over the boiling pasta for 2-3 minutes. Or you can add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time.
Drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Then stir in the flour to create a thick paste.
Allow to cook for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the half and half. Add in the dijon, salt, pepper, and cayenne and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Once the sauce has thickened, add in the shredded white cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese has fully melted into the sauce.
Add in the cooked pasta and steamed broccoli and stir to coat with the cheese sauce. Let cook over low heat for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I like to gently reheat mac and cheese on the stove with an extra splash of milk or cream to help rehydrate the pasta.

Notes

*The most important thing in making mac & cheese is buying blocks of cheddar cheese and shredding it yourself! Pre-shredded cheese contains additives that keeps it from clumping together in the bag, which also means it doesn't melt as smoothly in the sauce. It's always worth it to take a couple extra minutes to shred your own cheese!

Nutrition