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What's for Dinner? v19.33: Broccoli Cheddar Baked Mac & Cheese [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-02-15

It is kind of funny that I am writing a WFD post this week when we have been treated to take-out meals all this past week from work. Yesterday I mentioned that I had been forgetting that I needed to write this post and wasn’t sure what to post since I haven’t had to cook all week! Heh, it’s a good thing I take lots of pics of the food I make so I just had to look back to earlier in the month for a good topic. Seeing as we still have some of this mac and cheese leftover it may just be what we have for dinner tonight!

What’s for Dinner? is a Saturday evening get-together where friends share recipes, talk about good food and help others answer culinary questions. We also have a handy post with links from our archives here: Master Index 2014-2021 We welcome you to our virtual table every Saturday evening 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. If you would like to write a post for an upcoming date just send a message to ninkasi23!

I’ve made this version of baked mac & cheese a few times and it is one of our favorites. I think one key thing is to get the broccoli cooked to your level of preference before it gets mixed into the sauce. I also like to get some good quality macaroni so it holds the sauce better. I used Barilla here and it has the grooved surface that does just that. Also, don’t knock using processed American cheese/Velveeta. It has enzymes that make it melt easier and gives the sauce a creamy smoothness and keeps the cheddar from breaking and becoming greasy.

Broccoli Cheese Mac & Cheese

from Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for the baking dish

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1/2 head broccoli, stalks largely removed, broken into very small florets

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cups whole milk

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup half-and-half

2 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar

1 cup cubed processed cheese, such as Velveeta

1 cup grated Parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a baking dish. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions until still firm. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the celery, broccoli and onion and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to mash some of the broccoli. Sprinkle on the flour and dry mustard and stir to coat the vegetables. Pour in the milk, broth and half-and-half and cook, stirring, to allow it to warm up. Add the Cheddar, processed cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and some salt and pepper and stir to melt the cheese. Add the macaroni and stir. Taste and check for seasoning. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Combine the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and sprinkle liberally over top. Bake until bubbly, about 25 minutes.

I usually finish this under the broiler to brown up the breadcrumbs on top.

So what’s for dinner at your place?

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