One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese

By Ali Slagle

Updated Feb. 19, 2025

One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(3,249)
Comments
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In the time it takes to make boxed macaroni and cheese, you can have a homemade version that’s creamy with lots of sharp Cheddar, studded with broccoli and doesn’t require making a roux. Instead, the sauce is thickened by the pasta’s starch: As the noodles cook in milk, the milk thickens to the consistency of cream and the pasta absorbs the seasonings. Here, that’s garlic powder, but you could also use mustard powder, ground cayenne or grated nutmeg like in traditional mac and cheese. The broccoli pieces end up soft and sweet, but if you want more bite, add them halfway through cooking. (Watch the video of Ali Slagle making one-pot broccoli mac and cheese here.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound elbow macaroni
  • 1pound broccoli, stem and florets coarsely chopped
  • 2½cups whole milk
  • 2teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 2 cups)
  • Black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

614 calories; 12 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 101 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 918 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot or skillet, combine the macaroni, broccoli, milk, salt and garlic powder. Add 3 cups of water, and stir to combine. (The pasta may not be fully submerged. That’s OK!) Bring to an active simmer over medium-high. Reduce the heat to medium to gently simmer. Cook, stirring often to ensure even cooking and to keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender, and the liquid resembles heavy cream and coats the noodles, 8 to 12 minutes. If the liquid evaporates so much that you don’t see any between noodles, add ½ cup water. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

  2. Step 2

    Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat!

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,249 user ratings
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Comments

Too mich water

3 cups of water is too much. The pasta is done before it all evaporates. Next time I’ll start with 2 and add if need be.

Repatriated Expat

I’ve made this twice. It’s easy and good. The first time I made it as written, except I didn’t realize I used low fat milk. The sauce didn’t quite thicken, but it thickened with the cheese. For my family’s taste preferences I increased the salt a bit, the garlic a lot and added some mustard powder. It was really a hit! The second time I increased the veggies to almost 2 lbs and mixed broccoli and cauliflower. Yum! I needed to add some more cheese and spices, but liquid stayed the same.

Kristen T.

This was so good! I was so skeptical of the cooking method but it totally works. For what it’s worth I used oat milk and it still came out great. I’m sure whole milk would’ve been delicious but it’s all I had. Will make again! Great easy weeknight meal.

Jeff M

This came together really well. I added extra garlic powder, some onion powder, and some dried basil. Husband loved it and so did our dog.

Sanders

Overall, it works but not quite the creaminess of a real roux. And a bit bland, though I sautéed garlic in 2 tbs butter first and added nutmeg. In the end, it was rescued by adding (probably) 12+ ounces of a combo of cheeses; cheddar, pecorino and gruyere.

Irene

If we make this again, we'll use half the pasta and twice as much broccoli and cheese. Tastes pretty bland. Hot sauce helped. Tastes like it would be perfect to make for a party of young kids.

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