Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

No one can resist baked macaroni and cheese with broccoli

Do you have any fussy eaters in your house that won’t eat their vegetables? You know the ones that no matter how much you beg and plead, they just plain refuse to cooperate with you.  I have to admit I have a couple of them in my house right now.

I like buying fresh produce, but then when I get it home I always wonder how to prepare it, so that they will at least try it and hopefully enjoy it… at least a little bit.

I had purchase some broccoli and I was trying to decide how to prepare it, when I had a vision of macaroni and cheese. What better way to hide a little broccoli, then adding it to all that gooey cheese and macaroni. And by the way macaroni and cheese is one of the absolute favorites in the house, so you know they are going to try it.

This is a simple dish to make. I started out with a simple white sauce. To the white sauce I added some mild cheddar cheese to make a yummy cheese sauce. I added macaroni and broccoli that had been cooked to the cheesy mixture then popped it into the oven for about 30 minutes. The results…  a side dish that included vegetables, that even my picky vegetables eaters enjoyed.

Now I am  pondering what other vegetables I can sneak into some other cheesy side dishes.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Macaroni and cheese with broccoli, baked macaroni and cheese broccoli

Author: Dawn Yucuis

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 2 to 3 cups broccoli
• 2 cups uncooked noodles your favorite kind will work
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Wash and cut broccoli into bite size pieces. Place in a medium pan and cook until fork tender.
• Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the box.
• While the broccoli and macaroni are cooking prepare the cheese sauce.
• In a medium skillet melt the butter, to the melted butter add the flour and mix until the smooth. Gradually add milk. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture is starting to thicken. Keep stirring the mixture as it cooks so that it does not burn. Once it has started to thicken add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
• Drain the macaroni and the broccoli, making sure that the water is drained well. Place the macaroni and broccoli into a casserole dish and mix. Pour the cheese sauce over this mixture. Mix the cheese sauce until the macaroni and broccoli are well coated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place in a preheated oven of 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is slightly brown and crusty.
• Serve