Healthy One Pot Broccoli Mac & Cheese
This creamy broccoli mac and cheese comes together in one pot and 30 minutes. No cashew cream, no complicated steps—just sharp cheddar, tender broccoli, and a silky sauce that even picky eaters love. It is the weeknight hero you have been looking for.
Equipment
- 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot
- Box grater or microplane
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 lb small pasta (elbow, shells, or cavatappi)
- 1 large head broccoli (about 1 lb)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2.5 cups whole milk or 2%
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 8 oz sharp cheddar, freshly grated
- 0.25 tsp fresh-grated nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill the pot with water and salt it generously. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook it 2 minutes short of the package directions (until still white in the center).
- Add the chopped broccoli in the last 3 minutes. The residual heat from the pasta water softens it perfectly.
- Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli together in a colander. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat until foamy but not browned. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute to make a roux.
- Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the mustard, nutmeg, and 3/4 of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is glossy.
- Add the drained pasta and broccoli back to the pot. Fold gently until combined. The broccoli should be tender enough that some melts into the sauce.
- Thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water, adding 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce is loose enough to pool but thick enough to cling to the pasta.
- Taste and season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Add a final grating of nutmeg if desired. Let rest 2 minutes off heat before serving.
Notes
Make ahead: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk.
Don't skip: Shred your own cheese and add the mustard and nutmeg – they make the sauce taste more complex.
For gluten-free: Use GF pasta and flour blend, increase milk slightly.
Pro tip: Reserve extra pasta water – the sauce thickens as it sits, and a splash brings it back to silky.
Don't skip: Shred your own cheese and add the mustard and nutmeg – they make the sauce taste more complex.
For gluten-free: Use GF pasta and flour blend, increase milk slightly.
Pro tip: Reserve extra pasta water – the sauce thickens as it sits, and a splash brings it back to silky.