Veg
Broccoli Macn Cheese
Description
Tossing vegetables with mac and cheese is the easiest way to get your family’s broccoli haters to scarf down their veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (dried)
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli (stems peeled and cut into pieces)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 cup bread crumbs (coarse)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Add the broccoli to the pasta cooking water after the pasta has cooked 6 minutes. When the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is crisp tender drain the pasta and broccoli.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat until hot. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk in a steady stream and bring to a boil, whisking. Boil the milk sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss the sauce with the pasta and broccoli and place in a 13-by-9-inch square baking dish.
- In a small heavy skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over low heat then toss the breadcrumbs in the butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the gratin.
- Bake the gratin until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cheese sauce is bubbling around the edges of the dish, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve.
