This delicious broccoli macaroni and cheese recipe is a fun take on the comfort food staple – and a tasty way to get more green on your plate! It doesn’t look like your typical mac and cheese with the green color from broccoli, so I like to break this out around Halloween and call it “toxic waste mac and cheese” for something spooky and fun!
A Fun and Easy Halloween Recipe
Struggling to get vegetables on your kids’ plates? Want to make eating green produce more fun? This broccoli macaroni and cheese is totally the answer! It’s packed with an entire bag of frozen broccoli but still tastes creamy and cheesy, like your other favorite mac and cheese recipes.
It’s a hit with kids around Halloween time because anything silly and spooky is way more fun to eat! We call it “toxic waste mac and cheese,” and the kids laugh and laugh as they scarf down the green noodles.
I love it because it hits the spot when I want a classic comfort food meal that is super simple to toss together, but also want some nutritional value snuck in there (hello, broccoli cheese sauce!). If you love broccoli cheddar soup, then you’ll live for this special mac and cheese recipe that my family can’t seem to get enough of.
What are the best cheese for mac and cheese?
I always gravitate to sharp cheddar with some parmesan when making mac and cheese. It’s cheesy and flavorful, but not overpowering! You could also use gouda, mild cheddar, or any other cheese that you love.
What should I serve with homemade mac and cheese?
You can totally serve this solo, or if you want some protein on the plate, my perfect chicken legs recipe would be divine with it!
What is the best pasta for mac and cheese?
I use macaroni noodles, but medium shells would also work well here! Choose something that will hold onto the cheese sauce well. I wouldn’t use spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
What can you add to mac and cheese?
To dress up mac and cheese even more, you could always add crumbled bacon, bread crumbs, black pepper, or hot sauce on top!
Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
Description
This delicious broccoli macaroni and cheese recipe is a fun take on the comfort food staple – and a tasty way to get more green on your plate! It doesn’t look like your typical mac and cheese with the green color from broccoli, so I like to break this out around Halloween and call it “toxic waste mac and cheese” for something spooky and fun!
Ingredients
- 4 cups macaroni or medium-sized shell noodles (1 pound)
- 2 eggs
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 bag frozen broccoli (10 ounces), thawed
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups cheddar, shredded (Gruyere or white cheddar work great), about a pound
- 1 cup fresh parmesan, shredded, about 4 ounces
Instructions
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, stir in noodles, and cook until almost tender.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs, evaporated milk, thawed broccoli, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to the jar of your blender. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Drain the pasta, and return to the pot. Set the pot over low heat, and stir in the butter until melted.
- Stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheddar.
- Continue to cook over low heat, gradually stirring in the remaining cheese, until the mixture is hot and creamy, and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve right away.
Notes
- The cheese sauce is a bit soupy right after making. You can either let it stand for 10 minutes before serving or just give your family spoons and serve it in a bowl. The sauce does thicken as it cools and the macaroni absorbs it.
- Feel free to use a different cheese or a combination of different cheeses to change things up a bit. My go-to is always classic sharp cheddar cheese, though.
- You can use different shaped pasta; just be sure to cook it to al dente (slightly undercooked) before draining and adding additional ingredients.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: macaroni and cheese, mac and cheese, halloween dinner idea, broccoli and cheese, pasta dinner, quick dinner idea, halloween recipe, halloween party food idea, easy halloween party food
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Hahahaha…I love the name! Hmmm…. I wonder what the kids would name it for St. Patrick’s Day! I gotta send this to my sister ASAP.
Yes, great for St. Paddy’s too! I started making it now just to eat, it was really good!