If you have been dreaming of a delicious one pot pasta dish that is both easy to make and easy to clean up (and not to mention, will be LOVED by your family) – look no further because this One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese is it!
And when we say easy, we truly mean it.
Making this simple recipe will only keep you in the kitchen for 20 minutes, so you can maximize your time elsewhere! Aside from the plates you’ve eaten on, you will have one single dish to clean (and perhaps a measuring cup) by the end of the night, which makes this recipe a real winner!
Table of Contents
How to make this One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
A great part about this recipe is that once you’ve chopped up your broccoli florets and gathered and measured out your ingredients, this is a hands-off recipe.
- In a pot, add your pasta, chicken broth (or broth of choice), broccoli florets and seasonings. Stir everything together, bring the liquid up to a boil and cover.
- After the pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium low and allow everything to cook together for about 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta has reached your desired texture.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add in the cheeses, heavy cream and whole milk. Stir everything together for creamy goodness! At this point you can add a little extra milk, cream or seasoning to your taste preferences.
- Optional: set your oven to broil and pop your delicious mac and cheese in for a few minutes to crisp up the top. Make sure to keep a close eye so that it doesn’t burn!
- Serve up this delicious meal and basque in the compliments you are bound to receive.
The benefit of one pot pasta dishes
We’ve said it before and we will say it again, this is a fast clean up recipe! Depending on your priorities, cooking a meal in a single dish (meaning all you have to clean is one dish – score!) might be the biggest benefit of this cheesy recipe. But what we love most about making single pot meals is the added flavor that cooks into your meal.
Typically when you aim to cook pasta perfectly, you are boiling it in salted water in order to season the pasta as it absorbs the water and softens up to an al dente texture. The salt is super important here because it enhances the flavor of the pasta itself.
Well, when you make this mac and cheese in one pot, you are getting the added flavor of the chicken broth (or broth of your choice) instead of water. Additionally, the seasonings and broccoli will add a further depth of flavor to the pasta itself making this dish an absolute flavor bomb!
From the time you’ll save cooking AND cleaning all the way to the jam packed bites of flavor, this One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese is going to be a game changing recipe that you’re going to want to add to your family’s monthly meal plan.
Why we love adding broccoli to this mac and cheese dish
If you’ve ever had a Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup, you know the magic that comes from the combination of broccoli and cheese – especially for the kiddos. Incorporating broccoli into this mac and cheese is a happy medium between allowing our kids to fall in love with veggies while also gently hiding just how green and healthy it is.
And by cooking the broccoli together with the pasta and cheese, the texture is absolute perfection. If you have a picky eater in your house, you know how important it is to achieve the right balance between crunchy and soggy when it comes to broccoli.
Furthermore, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain vitamins, minerals, and tons of antioxidants, making them a hero in the category of immune boosting veggies. Incorporating more broccoli into our meals, especially during cold and flu season, can help fortify our immune system. Who doesn’t love delicious food as medicine?
Love this recipe but cooking for someone with a dairy allergy?
There are plenty of dairy-free cheeses and dairy-free milks on the market these days, making it super straightforward to transform this dairy packed recipe into a delicious dairy-free mac and cheese. Simply grab your go-to dairy-free alternative and swap out the dairy items in this recipe! That way everyone can enjoy this delicious one pot meal! You can also try this dairy-free pasta recipe.
One Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz uncooked pasta
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or broth of choice
- 1 tsp kosher salt more or less to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 cup monterrey jack cheese grated
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
- Add pasta, broth, garlic, broccoli, and seasonings. Stir. Bring to a boil, and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and and cook for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Add cheese, heavy cream remaning ingredients and stir until nice and creamy. Add a splash of milk if you like it creamier. Option: Feel free to broil in the oven for a few minutes to crisp the top!
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The best homemade Mac and cheese I’ve ever made/tasted. Mine was runny. Which is what made it sooo good. I mostly make meals like this for meal prepping and when you reheat at work you always lose moisture. So to start off with more moisture makes it just perfect and creamy for reheating. So good.
Yay! Glad it was a hit! xo, Alia & Radwa
This was great! Easy to make, took me 10 min to prep and the rest was cook time. This is a keeper!!
Thank you so much, Karen!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
LOVE! So easy and quick. Toddler approved!
H Kylie- It’s even better when it’s kid approved!!
Absolutely delicious!! The jack cheese added a flavor I wasn’t expecting. Creamy and simple to make. I added just a splash more of broth. Turned out perfect. My family loved it and was surprised how quick I made dinner!
I just made this dish today and all I can say is OMG so easy so quick and so so yummy
Could I use frozen broccoli florets? When would I add them so that they don’t overcook?
Hi Jessica- You can definitely use frozen broccoli, we suggest stirring in the broccoli just a few minutes before the pasta is done cooking!
So easy and so good!
This was seriously so easy& so amazingly delicious! Husband & I both had seconds, one of my toddlers had fourths& the other ate really well also! My toddlers are so picky lately so to see them eat this good made me so happy. Especially with such a quick easy recipe.
I did not have any issues with it being runny. My noodles were perfect at 10 min & the liquid was gone. I didn’t have heavy cream so I used 1/2 c half& half instead& skipped the additional 1/2 c milk. For cheese I used 1 c sharp cheddar& 1/2 c mozzarella cuz it’s what I had on hand& it was perfect. This recipe is definitely going on our frequent meal list.
This was a big hit in my house! I used my 6 Qt enameled cast iron Dutch oven, ziti pasta, Better-Than-Bullion chicken paste + water (I needed to add an extra ~cup during cooking), and no salt (the BTB is very salty). I liked not having to use the strainer and having the veg + carb in one pot!
I served with grilled some pork chops. I turned the grill on after I put everything in the pot, cut the thick chops in half & sprinkled w/ garlic powder & Kabob seasoning, once the pasta dish started boiling I stirred and put the cover on then put the chops on the grill. I stirred the pastas several times and it did stick to the bottom of my pot a bit, but didn’t burn. This meal was yummy and done in ~ 25 min. Big hit for my family and I have enough leftovers for my kids to take for lunch in a couple days! I’ll certainly be checking out more of these one-pot recipes. Thank you Dolls 🥰
This is as DELICIOUS!
This is the second one pot recipe I’ve tried and both times have ended up with 2-3 cups of broth still in my pasta after cooking, but the instructions don’t mention straining it. Is that supposed to be implied or is there something I’m missing?
I also agree with the other comments that adding the milk makes it too runny.
Hi Chevy! Yes, it may appear to be runny BUT as it sits it really thickens. If you don’t put enough liquid it will dry up. Did you use the full amount of pasta?
Your recipe does not state what is the full amount of pasta
It is 16oz, which is 1 pound.
Excellent recipe! My kids loved it and had seconds, which never happens!
Fabulous!
If I could give more stars I would , hands down a grown up mac and cheese , I added some tomato to top mine off, love your recipes, please keep doing one pot recipes
Amazing, love it! Absolutely – stay tuned for more!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. What a crowd pleaser! It’s gooey, warm, and perfect for the beginner cook (like myself). Next time, I will make a note to incorporate less salt, whether it be by using low-sodium chicken broth or no salt at all. But otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and I will be making it again!
Yes! So glad you liked it! Thanks for feedback on the salt, we will make note of it!
I am always really skeptical to try new recipes that don’t have any reviews because I hate wasting food, but man am I glad I took a shot on this one!
This is one of the best and easiest Mac and cheese recipes I’ve ever made. It is so creamy, rich, and flavorful-the perfect comfort food. My toddler loved it, too, and all she eats is goldfish crackers.
A couple notes-
1. I only used 1/2 cup of heavy cream- no milk. In my opinion, having both would have made it too watery.
2. Watch the pasta- I kept checking mine because I like my pasta al dente. If I left it for 12 mins it would have been too soft.
I otherwise followed the recipe exactly and I’m glad I did. Phenomenal. Will definitely be making it again on a weeknight because it’s so easy! Thanks Food Dolls!