Sometimes I have a hard time getting my daily dose of veggies.
My mom says that when I was little I used to eat vegetables all the time. In fact, I preferred a carrot over chocolate. Whaaat?! That doesn’t sound like me at all. I guess I’ve changed. Luckily I still like to eat most vegetables but I admit that it requires effort and sometimes I slack off. I wonder if pizza and bagels will ever turn a corner and be considered a vegetable. 😉 If so, I’d be golden.
Anyway, in an effort to eat more vegetables, I thought I’d make this mac and cheese dish. I realize that this is mostly cheese and pasta and that the broccoli a little bit like a mixed in side dish of veggies but it got me to eat my veggies and more is more.
Forget the plate, I’m just going after the pot with my fork. I won’t purposely avoid the broccoli, thank you very much. (I can imagine that’s what my husband might be thinking because he knows me all too well). If it’s covered in creamy cheese sauce, then I will not discriminate. I will happily eat more broccoli than I normally would if it were just a steamed veggie sitting on the side. Go me… or something.
This mac and cheese is ridiculously creamy. Seriously… ridiculously… creamy. So yeah, I’m in love with this mac and cheese and would make it about another 100 times. Add the broccoli, or skip it, or add another veggie, you’ve still got a winner of a dish. The same is true for the jalapeno if that’s not your thing. I cut out the seeds so it’s not spicy, but it adds great flavor. Also, I love the addition of the broccoli because we all know that it automatically makes this a healthy dish. 😉
Pizza is sort of like mac and cheese. You know, because they both mostly consist of carbs and cheese. Maybe I’ll put some broccoli on top of my next pizza in order to get more veggies into my diet. Yes, I like this plan. I must consume more pizza and mac and cheese in order to get my veggies in. I’m pretty sure children everywhere are cheering about this idea.
Broccoli Jalapeno Mac and Cheese Recipe
(About 4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dry small pasta (I used Pipette pasta.)
- 1 and 1/2 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%.)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese, equivalent to 8 ounces (I used sharp Cheddar cheese.)
- 1 jalapeno, diced
Directions:
- Boil the pasta until al dente, according the directions on the box.
- When there is 30 seconds to a minute left on the cooking time, add the broccoli to the boiling water.
- When the pasta is finished and the broccoli is bright green, drain and rinse with cold water and set it aside.
- In the same pot or a large sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour and stir constantly for about three minutes, until completely smooth and incorporated.
- Pour in 1 cup of the milk in a thin stream while whisking. It might start out lumpy, but keep whisking and it will smooth out into a thick paste.
- Add the remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of milk and whisk until it’s smooth. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the salt and pepper, diced jalapeños, and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Add the drained pasta and broccoli and gently mix.
Source: i am a food blog
Here are some other cool cheesy dishes.
Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
This recipe is a win, win…..cheese, pasta, veggies and hot jalapeno. What more could I ask for!!??
I agree and I’m glad you do too! 🙂
This looks delicious! So creamy- pinning!
Thank you, thank you! Have a lovely day, Medha. 🙂
I’m speechless with this broccoli and macaroni recipe. The flavours are fantastic.
Thanks! I think it’s pretty awesome. 🙂
Nice!
Thank you! 🙂