This Healthy Mac and Cheese with broccoli and white cheddar is the best weeknight dinner! Make it in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?! My fave childhood comfort food, elevated with white cheddar and broccoli… I hope you love it as much as I do!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Healthy comfort food: Your fave comfort food in a much healthier format.
- Easy to make: Choose from two easy methods – the Instant Pot or the stovetop.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter – margarine would also work.
- Macaroni spirals – rigatoni, macaroni elbows, or penne would all be good.
- Evaporated milk – cream or regular milk can work but won’t be as creamy.
- White cheddar cheese – try cheddar, gouda, or gruyere for a different flavour.
- Broccoli – add in any other veggie of your choice.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Cook the macaroni.
Cook oil, water, pasta, and butter on high pressure.
Step 2: Stir in the milk and cheese.
Do a quick pressure release, then stir in the milk and cheese.
Step 3: Steam the broccoli.
Microwave and drain the broccoli.
Step 4: Stir in the broccoli.
Stir in the broccoli and serve.
Recipe tips and variations
Here are some tips and tricks for making this yummy mac and cheese:
- Hand-grate the cheese: This will give you the best level of meltiness.
- Broccoli texture: For softer broccoli, steam it separately before mixing it into the mac and cheese. For a crunch, add raw florets directly to the pot.
- Boost the flavor: Add a pinch of garlic powder, smoked paprika, or a dash of hot sauce.
- Add toppings: Sprinkle with breadcrumbs or crispy fried onions for a crunchy topping.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best type of cheese for mac and cheese?
I like using white cheddar, but regular cheddar, gruyere, mozzarella, Swiss or gouda would all be yummy.
How do I prevent the cheese from clumping?
Make sure the pasta is hot when stirring in the cheese, and add it gradually while stirring to ensure it melts evenly.
How can I add more protein?
You can stir in some cooked bacon, chicken, turkey or ham at the end of the cooking time for extra protein.
What to serve with mac and cheese
- Coleslaw, salad, or cowboy caviar
- Fresh bread or cornbread
- Brussels sprouts or spinach for extra greens
Storing and reheating
Storing: Store the leftovers in the fridge for 5 days.
Freezing: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 mins or in a pot on the stovetop.
More healthy pasta recipes
Meal prep tools
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus is the version I use in this recipe.
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on packing this up for lunch!
Healthy Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb macaroni spirals (sometimes call scoobi do)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 3 cups white cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 head broccoli, finely chopped
Instructions
- Add sunflower oil, water, salt, macaroni spirals and butter to Instant Pot in that order. Set to cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Once complete, do a quick release of pressure and open the lid when safe to do so.
- Stir in milk and white cheddar until fully blended, then add broccoli florets and stir. Replace the lid and let sit 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! For those who like their broccoli more well done, it can be cooked in a bowl of water for 5 minutes in the microwave, then drained and added to the Mac and cheese.
Stovetop instructions
- Add macaroni to a large pot of salted boiling water on the stove. Boil for 8-9 minutes until al dente, then rinse and drain.
- Add macaroni back to pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, stirring until melted. Stir in evaporated milk and cheese until creamy and well combined. Finally, stir in broccoli and continuing cooking another 3-4 minutes until broccoli is tender. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Comments & Reviews
Jennifer says
Hi Taylor,
I recently made this and it was absolutely delicious but the problem I had was that the cheese stuck to everything. Even the bowls were hard to clean. The only thing I changed was I used a three cheese combo instead of the white cheddar. Would that have made a difference? Based on that I didn’t want to make it again. 🙁
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Jennifer – unfortunately any type of mac and cheese can be a bit more difficult to clean. Any time you use real cheese this can happen…one of the burdens of homemade mac and cheese 🙁
Jennifer says
Sorry I am just seeing this now. Thanks for the reply. I thought I did something wrong but good to hear this about using real cheese. It was so good I hate to not make it again.
Vicky says
Hi Taylor! Love your website!! Quick question… the calories in the nutrition facts area reflect the caloric intake of one serving? Thanks in advance, <3
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Vicky!! Thanks so much 🙂 Yes the nutrition facts are for one serving, hope that helps!
Jen says
Made this tonight–quick and easy (and tasted great!). Only problem is that even after letting the broccoli sit in the pot for 10+ minutes, it was still raw 😕 Cover was closed and everything. Next time, I’ll add at the beginning, and cook with the pasta.
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you liked it Jen! Sometimes it depends on how small you have chopped the broccoli..you could also try adding it in after and pressing the “keep warm” button to add a bit more heat. I wouldn’t add the broccoli in at the beginning to pressure cook because it will get really mushy!
Sherry says
Can I use whole wheat pasta? Will the recipe be the same?
Taylor Stinson says
It should be yes 🙂
Morgan says
Hi Taylor.
I’m new to your blog and have noticed that in the nutritional info section on your recipes it doesn’t say how much one serving is. What do you consider to be a serving?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Morgan…I provide number of servings at the top of each recipe! If something says 6 servings, divide it in 6 and that would be considered one serving. Unfortunately I’m not able to go measuring everything into exact portion sizes – it’s challenging enough just to calculate the nutrition facts. Sorry about this!
Carrie Beth Abrell says
How much is one serving?
Taylor Stinson says
You will need to divide the pasta into 8 servings – I’m sorry I can’t give a more specific measurement but if I had to guess, I would say 1 1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
Heather says
Could I double this and use the same amount of time?
Taylor Stinson says
To be honest I’m really not sure Heather, I haven’t tried it myself! I’ve heard of people just doubling a recipe and adding a minute to the cook time for different Instant Pot recipes, but I just can’t guarantee the results if that makes sense. Let me know if you try it!
Shirley says
The first comment notes that 2 cups of water is to much, you agreed. But the recipe calls for 4 cups of water what do you use. The recipe looks amazing would like to try it.
Taylor Stinson says
Sorry Shirley, I didn’t notice that Monique said “2 cups” instead of 4 cups. I didn’t necessarily agree with her, I just apologized that it turned out that way when she made it. There are many reasons why this amount may have been too much water for her – maybe she used a different shape of pasta, or maybe she didn’t use one full pound of the pasta shape I used (I find people guesstimate quite a bit when adding pasta instead of following the recipe exactly, I often am guilty of this myself). Four cups of water is the right amount if you are using macaroni spirals as pictured and listed in the instructions. Hope this helps!
Shirley says
Yes that does help. Thanks so much for replying so quickly. I will look for the pasta that you used. I’m sorry that I said you agreed I do see that you were apologizing.
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks so much Shirley, and sorry I just wanted to clear that up (us Canadians apologize a lot I’m realizing haha)
Pelin says
Hey, this looks really good. Do you think I can freeze the leftovers?
Taylor Stinson says
You could definitely try! Most pasta dishes usually freeze well 🙂 I just haven’t tried it myself!
Monique says
Saw this on FB today, tried it tonight and loved it … 2 cups was to much water so I had to drain it but still amazing. I think next time I’ll used several types of cheese.
Taylor Stinson says
Oh no! I’m sorry it was too much water – may be an excuse for me to do a third recipe testing session 😉 Thanks so much for your feedback Monique and happy you enjoyed it!
Janine says
Can you do this just in a large saucepan? With the same method?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Janine! I haven’t tried this myself as the instructions would be a bit different but I’m sure it would turn out great on the stovetop! I would recommend cooking the pasta ahead of time, draining it, then doing the milk/cheese part and adding in the broccoli and steaming with a lid on top for 5 minutes. Let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂