Having this broccoli mac and cheese recipe in your again pocket means a comforting weeknight dinner isn’t removed from attain. The truth that you can also make your entire dish in a single giant pot solely makes it extra engaging.
The trick to creating selfmade mac and cheese a one-pot affair (with minimal prep time and cook dinner time) comes right down to approach. In contrast to most different pasta dishes, you’ll wish to be actually precise in regards to the quantity of water and salt you utilize right here. Because the pasta water reduces, it varieties the bottom of the sauce, no draining required. Then, as an alternative of bothering with a roux, you’ll toss shredded cheese with cornstarch and add the combination to the cooked pasta step by step, one handful at a time. The cornstarch binds to the fat within the cheese sauce, stopping it from breaking whereas permitting it to thicken and mimic the luscious texture of traditional macaroni and cheese—with out the fuss of whisking milk into toasted all-purpose flour and butter. TL;DR: There’s no want to fret a couple of lumpy sauce.
A mixture of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses offers the sauce steadiness: the latter brings a pointy, salty taste, whereas the previous lends a creamy, completely melty texture. And a heap of greens (on this case, a wealth of broccoli) solely makes it higher. To make this consolation meals even simpler, we name for frozen broccoli florets (not chopped broccoli, which may get mushy). However, when you’ve got some leftover roasted broccoli or one other veggie to make use of up, be at liberty to stir it in as an alternative.
We’re huge believers in crunch, so we encourage you to raid your pantry for no matter toppings look good to you: Toast some panko in melted butter or olive oil or crush up some potato chips or cheese crackers. Or serve alongside some Parmesan-crusted garlic bread for swabbing your bowl completely clear.
