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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!
Struggling to get vegetables on your kids’ plates? Want to make eating green produce more fun? This broccoli macaroni and cheese is 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.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe Ingredients
- Macaroni noodles – medium-sized shell noodles will also work well
- Eggs
- Evaporated milk – 12-ounce can
- Frozen broccoli – thawed
- Seasonings – dry mustard, garlic and onion powder
- Butter
- Cheese – cheddar and fresh parmesan shredded
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Green Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
- Boil noodles until almost tender.
- Blend the remaining ingredients except butter and cheese.
- Drain the pasta and add butter
- Mix in the egg mixture and gradually stir in the remaining cheeses.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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!
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.
Expert Tips
- To dress up mac and cheese even more, you could always add crumbled bacon, bread crumbs, black pepper, or hot sauce on top!
- If your cheese sauce is a bit soupy right after making, you can let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce thickens as it cools and the macaroni absorbs it.
- Slightly undercook your pasta as it will continue to cook. This prevents the pasta from becoming mushy.
More Pasta Recipes to Consider
Recipe Collections
Zucchini Recipes
Chicken Recipes
Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta (One Pot!)
Pasta Dishes
Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Lasagna
Pasta Dishes
Pumpkin Alfredo
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Broccoli Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups macaroni or medium-sized shell noodles, (1 pound)
- 2 eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk, (12-ounce)
- 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.
- Consider adding cooked bacon, caramelized onions, or roasted garlic for an extra layer of flavor. Fresh herbs like parsley or chives can also add a bright, fresh touch.
I see this becoming our go-to simple supper, especially with all the variable ingredients to change it up. Actually, it can be made fancy enough to serve when company comes over. Word of caution though: follow the directions and don’t rush the cooking, or else count on extra pot scrubbing.
Thanks for the tip BH!
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!