Having this broccoli mac and cheese recipe in your back pocket means a comforting weeknight dinner is never far from reach. The fact that you can make the entire dish in a single large pot only makes it more enticing.
The trick to making homemade mac and cheese a one-pot affair (with minimal prep time and cook time) comes down to technique. Unlike most other pasta dishes, you’ll want to be really exact about the amount of water and salt you use here. As the pasta water reduces, it forms the base of the sauce, no draining required. Then, instead of bothering with a roux, you’ll toss shredded cheese with cornstarch and add the mixture to the cooked pasta gradually, one handful at a time. The cornstarch binds to the fats in the cheese sauce, preventing it from breaking while allowing it to thicken and mimic the luscious texture of classic macaroni and cheese—without the fuss of whisking milk into toasted all-purpose flour and butter. TL;DR: There’s no need to worry about a lumpy sauce.
A combination of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses gives the sauce balance: the latter brings a sharp, salty flavor, while the former lends a creamy, perfectly melty texture. And a heap of vegetables (in this case, a wealth of broccoli) only makes it better. To make this comfort food even easier, we call for frozen broccoli florets (not chopped broccoli, which can get mushy). But, if you have some leftover roasted broccoli or another veggie to use up, feel free to stir it in instead.
We’re big believers in crunch, so we encourage you to raid your pantry for whatever toppings look good to you: Toast some panko in melted butter or olive oil or crush up some potato chips or cheese crackers. Or serve alongside some Parmesan-crusted garlic bread for swabbing your bowl totally clean.
What you’ll need
Box Grater
$19 At Amazon
Dutch Oven
$90 At Amazon
Pyrex 4-Cup Measuring Cup
$8 At Bed Bath and Beyond
Wooden Spoon
$9 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toss together 12 oz. Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (about 3 cups), and 12 oz. sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 3 cups), in a large bowl with your hands. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. cornstarch over and toss again until cheese is evenly coated. Set cheese mixture aside.
Step 2
Bring 5 cups water to a boil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Add 1 lb. lumache (snail shells) or other medium shell pasta and cook, stirring often to keep pasta from sticking to bottom of pot, until about half of the water has been absorbed and pasta is very al dente, 7–9 minutes for most pasta shapes (about 3 minutes less than package directions).
Step 3
Add one 1-lb. bag or two 10–12.6-oz. bags frozen broccoli florets and 2½ cups whole milk to pot and return to a boil. Cook, stirring often, until pasta and broccoli are both tender but not mushy, 2–3 minutes. (Taste a piece of pasta to check.)
Step 4
Reduce heat to low and mix in 1 tsp. English mustard powder, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton Kosher salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Add reserved cheese mixture a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until mostly melted before adding more.
Step 5
Remove pot from heat. Taste broccoli mac and cheese and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until cheese sauce has thickened slightly before serving, 5–10 minutes.
Recipe notes
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