Broccoli Mac & Cheese

This Broccoli Mac & Cheese really ROCKS! It is the best of both worlds with two of my favorite comfort foods combined in one dish: broccoli cheese soup and mac & cheese.

Friends of mine had asked me to cook several things for their annual St. Patrick’s Day party, so I told them I would think of “something green in honor of the Irish saint and vegetarians everywhere”. My vegetarian friend suggested something similar to the broccoli and cheese soup that we had recently in a San Francisco restaurant, but with pasta added. I liked that idea. Typically, meat, like ham or bacon, is used to create variations on Mac & Cheese. Lobster is also a popular addition to this dish in a lot of restaurants these days. Using a strong-flavored vegetable seemed like an interesting way to go.

I used white cheddar for this recipe to make the green color of the broccoli stand out, but you can use any strong-flavored or sharp cheddar cheese. In this recipe, I pureed half of the broccoli to make sure the green color was added to the cheese sauce. The other half is chopped roughly and stirred into the mixture raw. It will cook when it’s bakes in the oven.

I was quite pleased the way this dish turned out; it is full of flavor and very rich. I hope you enjoy it anytime, not just on St Patrick’s Day. I know I will.

Original post date: 3-15-15

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Ingredients

1/2 Pound Pasta (small elbow macaroni)
3 Cups Milk (whole or 2%)
2 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
3 Tablespoons Butter (unsalted)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (3 cups for sauce & 1 cup to sprinkle on top)
1 Pound Broccoli
1 Tablespoon Butter (for baking dish)
1/2 Tablespoon Salt (for pasta water)

Directions


Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and pasta. Cook pasta until it is almost al dente. Completely drain pasta and set aside.

Melt butter in large pot, add flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile steam half of the broccoli until tender.

Add salt, pepper and milk to flour mixture and bring to a boil. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and whisk in 3 cups of cheese.

Add steamed broccoli and blend together with stick blender. If you don't have a stick blender you could use a potato masher.

Add pasta and remaining 1/2 pound of raw broccoli to cheese sauce.

Pour pasta, broccoli and cheese sauce into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top. Place in preheated 350 degree oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes.

Place mac and cheese in bowls and serve.