An easy and tasty Broccoli Mac & Cheese recipe for kids. All made in one pot in less than 15 minutes
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One thing that makes my life easier when it comes to feeding my kids is having a bank of fast and super simple recipes that I can whip up on busy days.
This Broccoli Mac & Cheese is one of those. It's all made in one pot and ready in just 15 minutes. Perfect for those busy mid-week evenings.
The first step is to add macaroni pasta to a saucepan of boiling water.
Chop the broccoli into small florets and add to a steaming basket on top.
Put the lid on and cook for 8 - 9 minutes.
If you don't have a steaming basket you can cook the broccoli directly in with the pasta.
Remove the steaming basket with the broccoli.
Then drain the pasta and leave it to one side.
Chop the broccoli into very small pieces.
In the same saucepan that you cooked the pasta, melt some butter and add flour.
Cook this for 15/20 seconds to remove the raw flavour of the flour.
Add the milk and cheese and stir well.
Cook for another couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Add the pasta and broccoli back in and stir well. And it's ready to serve.
Fussy Eater Tips
I appreciate that if you have a very picky eater who hates broccoli then this recipe may not go down so well with them.
My tip would be to reduce the amount of broccoli you cook, starting with just a very small amount.
That way they can pick it out if they want. You may find that over time they tolerate more broccoli in with the pasta.
The broccoli is also flavoured with that lovely cheese sauce so it may be more palatable to them than broccoli served on its own.
Product Recommendation
This is the steamer basket that I use. It's a brilliant cheap gadget to have in your kitchen and takes up very little room in your cupboard.
If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy my One Pot Cheesy Pea Pasta
One Pot Broccoli Mac & Cheese
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: One Pot
- Cuisine: Pasta
Description
An easy and tasty Broccoli Mac & Cheese recipe for kids. All made in one pot in less than 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 160g macaroni
- 80g broccoli
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 300ml milk
- 70g grated cheese
Instructions
- Add the macaroni to a saucepan of boiling water.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets and add them to a steaming basket.
- Place the basket in the saucepan on top of the pasta and add a lid.
- Cook for 8-9 minutes.
- Remove the steaming basket from the saucepan and drain the macaroni.
- Chop the broccoli into very small pieces.
- Melt the butter in the same saucepan and add in the flour.
- Cook for 15-20 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add the milk and cheese and stir well, cooking until the sauce thickens.
- Add in the macaroni and broccoli and mix again.
- Serve immediately.
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Maria Mileham says
Great,easy meal for my toddler to enjoy.
Vicky says
Thank you Maria! happy your toddler loves this recipe.
Paige says
Sounds great! Can this be frozen ?
Vicky says
Yes it can!
Anonymous says
I am very impressed and thank you.
Christine
Arundel house says
My kids inhale this dish every time I make it ..... but apparently they hate Broccoli 🤣
Vicky says
Love this 😉
Hayley says
Can this be eaten cold please?