Broccoli mac and cheese with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and sour cream makes easy, simple and delicious mac and cheese!
Macaroni And Cheese Pasta With Baby Broccoli Florets
To make perfect macaroni and cheese pasta with broccoli florets, I used traditional elbow pasta shells for mac and cheese.
However, you may also use shell pasta also known as conch shells which will go great with mac and cheese recipes.
To make it perfect and tasty with added broccoli, we use cheddar cheese along with a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream which balances the flavors very well!
I used baby broccoli florets which gets cooked really fast, and it is perfect for using in pasta recipes like this.
Since the size of baby broccoli florets are smaller than regular broccoli florets, the taste and texture of pasta is balanced very well.
If you prefer regular sized broccoli (fresh or frozen broccoli works fine!), just slightly increase the cooking time of broccoli to few more minutes, but make sure not to overcook the broccoli florets, since we want cooked but crunchy texture for broccoli. If you overcook the broccoli, the texture will turn too soft and mushy and it won’t taste great with the pasta.
So make sure to cook the broccoli just enough so it’s still crunchy in texture!
In this recipe, we cook the broccoli on stove top to use in the pasta, but you may also make instant pot sauteed broccoli or roasted frozen broccoli or oven roasted fresh broccoli florets to use in this pasta if you like!
If you have never tried broccoli pasta before, do try this homemade broccoli mac and cheese recipe!
Easy Mac And Cheese Recipes For Dinner:
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creamy mac and cheese in instant pot
baked butternut squash mac and cheese for holidays
More Easy Pasta & Noodle Recipes:
no boil spaghetti pasta noodles bake
teriyaki broccoli pasta noodles
easy lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese
So here is how you can make easy, simple and delicious broccoli mac and cheese at home.
How To Make Broccoli Mac And Cheese With Cream Cheese, Cheddar & Sour Cream?
To make homemade broccoli mac and cheese, we use the following ingredients.
ingredients
for the mac and cheese:
elbow macaroni 16 oz (equivalent to 4 cups dry pasta)
salt adjust to taste
water as needed to cook pasta
cream cheese 8 oz
shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups
sour cream 1.5 cups
butter 4 tablespoons (may use little more if needed)
olive oil 2 tablespoons
for the broccoli:
broccoli florets 12 oz (I used baby broccoli florets, you may use fresh regular broccoli as well)
salt adjust to taste
olive oil 1 tablespoon
garlic powder 1 teaspoon
onion powder 1 teaspoon
soy sauce 1 tablespoon (optional)
Step by step instructions
To make mac and cheese:
Cook the pasta according to package instructions (I simply boil the macaroni shells in boiling salted water for about 8 to 9 minutes or according to time mentioned in the package instructions for al dente cooked pasta).
While simmering the pasta, add the pasta shells only once the water comes to a boil and make sure the pasta shells are immersed in water.
Once you start simmering the shells, use medium heat and make sure to stir in between so the shells won’t be stuck.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water, add one tablespoon olive oil, 4 tablespoons of butter and also the shredded cheddar cheese to the cooked hot pasta, stir gently to combine and keep the pasta aside.
In a large bowl, place the cream cheese and whisk the cream cheese very well.
Also add sour cream and mix well to combine with cream cheese. If necessary, you can use an electric mixer for about a minute to combine the cream cheese and sour cream, but this is not necessary.
Once the cream cheese sour cream mixture is prepared add this mixture to the cooked pasta, add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and stir gently to combine with the pasta to make creamy, delicious mac and cheese with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and sour cream.
To make the broccoli for mac and cheese:
Place the broccoli florets in a large frying pan and cook in low heat so the water from the florets is evaporated. This is important step if you are using frozen broccoli. If you are using fresh broccoli and there is no water, you may not need to do this unless there is water from washing the florets.
Once the water is all evaporated, add olive oil, salt and seasonings (garlic powder, onion pwder), mix well to combine.
Stir fry the broccoli in medium to low heat for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the florets are cooked but still crunchy in texture (depending on the size of the broccoli you may need to slightly adjust the cooking time).
Once the broccoli is cooked, add the soy sauce also to the pan, mix with the broccoli florets and lightly fry for another one minute. Now the seasoned broccoli florets are ready to be added to the prepared mac and cheese!
To make broccoli mac and cheese:
Add the prepared stir fried broccoli florets to the prepared mac and cheese with sour cream and cream cheese, gently mix in to combine.
Alternatively, just gently mix the mac and cheese once more before adding the broccoli so the shells won’t stick together as the pasta cools down, then top the mac and cheese with stir fried broccoli as you wish.
You may also serve the mac and cheese separately with stir fried broccoli on the side as a different dish, in case there is anyone who wouldn’t prefer broccoli mixed in with mac and cheese!
Enjoy the delicious mac and cheese for lunch, dinner or any holiday meals as sides as you like!
Below you can get the recipe for broccoli mac and cheese in detail!
Broccoli Mac And Cheese With Cream Cheese And Sour Cream
Ingredients
for the mac and cheese:
for the broccoli:
- 12 oz broccoli florets I used baby broccoli florets, you may use fresh regular broccoli as well
- salt adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce optional
Instructions
To make mac and cheese:
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions (I simply boil the macaroni shells in boiling salted water for about 8 to 9 minutes or according to time mentioned in the package instructions for al dente cooked pasta).
- While simmering the pasta, add the pasta shells only once the water comes to a boil and make sure the pasta shells are immersed in water.
- Once you start simmering the shells, use medium heat and make sure to stir in between so the shells won’t be stuck.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water, add one tablespoon olive oil, 4 tablespoons of butter and also the shredded cheddar cheese to the cooked hot pasta, stir gently to combine and keep the pasta aside.
- In a large bowl, place the cream cheese and whisk the cream cheese very well.
- Also add sour cream and mix well to combine with cream cheese. If necessary, you can use an electric mixer for about a minute to combine the cream cheese and sour cream, but this is not necessary.
- Once the cream cheese sour cream mixture is prepared add this mixture to the cooked pasta, add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and stir gently to combine with the pasta to make creamy, delicious mac and cheese with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and sour cream.
To make the broccoli for mac and cheese:
- Place the broccoli florets in a large frying pan and cook in low heat so the water from the florets is evaporated. This is important step if you are using frozen broccoli. If you are using fresh broccoli and there is no water, you may not need to do this unless there is water from washing the florets.
- Once the water is all evaporated, add olive oil, salt and seasonings (garlic powder, onion pwder), mix well to combine.
- Stir fry the broccoli in medium to low heat for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the florets are cooked but still crunchy in texture (depending on the size of the broccoli you may need to slightly adjust the cooking time).
- Once the broccoli is cooked, add the soy sauce also to the pan, mix with the broccoli florets and lightly fry for another one minute. Now the seasoned broccoli florets are ready to be added to the prepared mac and cheese!
To make broccoli mac and cheese:
- Add the prepared stir fried broccoli florets to the prepared mac and cheese with sour cream and cream cheese, gently mix in to combine.
- Alternatively, just gently mix the mac and cheese once more before adding the broccoli so the shells won’t stick together as the pasta cools down, then top the mac and cheese with stir fried broccoli as you wish.
- You may also serve the mac and cheese separately with stir fried broccoli on the side as a different dish, in case there is anyone who wouldn’t prefer broccoli mixed in with mac and cheese!
- Enjoy the delicious mac and cheese for lunch, dinner or any holiday meals as sides as you like!
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