Baked Veggie Mac and Cheese
Baked veggie mac and cheese is how I get broccoli on the table with zero complaints: a creamy from-scratch sauce, tender florets, and a crunchy panko top.
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This baked veggie mac and cheese folds tender broccoli and elbow macaroni into a silky homemade cheese sauce, then bakes it under a golden Parmesan and panko crust. It’s the version I make when I want comfort food and a vegetable in the same scoop, because the broccoli cooks right in the pasta water and the whole thing comes together in one pot before it ever hits the oven. It feeds a crowd from a single 9×13 dish and uses pantry staples you likely already have.
This baked veggie mac and cheese recipe was originally posted on February 26, 2013. It has been recently updated with new photography, tips, and helpful storage instructions. The recipe was slightly modified to remove pre-packaged mac and cheese that is no longer available and is now from scratch and just as delicious.
If you’d rather skip the vegetables, my Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese is the classic, and on nights when the oven feels like too much, my Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese is ready straight from the pot. Broccoli fans should also try my Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, and you’ll find plenty more ideas in my Vegetables & Sides.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love This Baked Veggie Mac and Cheese
The sauce is rich and velvety from butter, milk, and heavy cream, with a toasty depth from a roux cooked until golden. The broccoli stays tender with a little bite and soaks up the sauce in every floret, and the Parmesan and panko bake into a crisp, salty crust that gives each spoonful some crunch against all that creaminess.
It’s also a smart, budget-friendly way to stretch one pound of pasta into a family-size side. You cook the pasta and broccoli together, build the sauce in the same pot, and let the oven finish the job, so cleanup is one pot and one baking dish. Kids who push broccoli around their plates tend to eat it happily when it’s coated in cheese sauce.
Heather’s Expert Tips for the Best Baked Veggie Mac & Cheese
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Undercook the pasta on purpose. Five minutes in the boiling water leaves the macaroni firm, and it finishes softening in the sauce and the oven. Fully cooked pasta turns mushy by the time it’s baked.
- Add the broccoli late. Dropping the florets in for the last 3 minutes of the pasta’s cook time keeps them bright green and tender crisp, and it saves you a second pot.
- Toast the roux until golden. Whisk the butter and flour until they smell nutty and turn light golden brown before adding any liquid. That extra minute builds flavor into the base of the sauce.
- Add the dairy slowly and whisk the whole time. Pouring the milk and cream in gradually is the simplest way to a smooth, lump-free sauce.
- Season the topping. After years of building spice blends as co-founder of Spiceology, I rarely leave a topping plain. A pinch of garlic powder, smoked paprika, or your favorite all-purpose blend tossed with the panko adds another layer of flavor for zero extra effort.
Maillard Reaction
The Maillard reaction is the browning that happens when proteins and natural sugars meet high heat, creating hundreds of new flavor compounds. It starts in the pot with the roux: as the flour toasts in melted butter and turns golden, the milk solids in the butter and the flour itself develop a nutty, savory flavor that a pale roux never has. That toasted base is what keeps this sauce from tasting flat or floury.
It finishes in the oven. At 375°F, the Parmesan and panko on top dry out and brown, turning crisp, golden, and deeply savory while the sauce bubbles underneath. That contrast between a browned, crunchy crust and the creamy pasta below is what separates a baked mac and cheese from one served straight from the stovetop.
Equipment Needed
- Large pot
- Colander
- Whisk
- 9×13 baking dish
- Cooking spray
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients in Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
- Pasta – I used fusilli pasta but elbow macaroni or cavatappi (corkscrew pasta) would also be delish
- Broccoli – fresh broccoli florets or crowns work best. See FAQ for using frozen broccoli
- Dairy – butter, milk, heavy cream, freshly grated cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese
- Flour – all-purpose flour for making a quick roux
- Panko – breadcrumbs add a nice subtle crunch to the topping
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Change the pasta shape. Fusilli, shells, or cavatappi all grab the sauce well in place of elbow macaroni.
- Mix up the vegetables. Swap some of the broccoli for cauliflower florets, frozen peas, or chopped spinach stirred in with the pasta.
- Make it a main dish. Fold in diced ham, crumbled cooked bacon, or shredded rotisserie chicken before baking.
- Lighten it up. Replace the heavy cream with additional milk for a slightly thinner but still creamy sauce.
- Make it gluten free. Use gluten-free pasta, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the roux, and gluten-free panko on top.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Refrigerate: Cool completely, then cover tightly or transfer to an airtight container. Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap the cooled dish well or portion it into freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat in the oven: Cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, then uncover for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp the topping.
- Reheat in the microwave: Add a splash of milk to a single portion, cover, and heat for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring halfway through.
- Make ahead: Assemble the dish up to 1 day ahead without the Parmesan and panko, cover, and refrigerate. Add the topping just before baking and give it 10 to 15 extra minutes in the oven.
What to Serve with Baked Veggie Mac and Cheese
- Lemon Herb Roasted Cornish Hens for a special Sunday supper with a creamy side.
- Charred Lemon Chicken Piccata, where bright lemon and capers cut right through the cheese sauce.
- Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Parmesan Salad for a weeknight dinner that feels like more effort than it is.
- Oven-to-Grill Baby Back Ribs, because mac and cheese and ribs belong together.
- Classic Meatballs (Baked & Juicy) for a kid-friendly dinner everyone will eat.
- Bloody Mary Burgers for a backyard cookout with a hearty side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Add frozen florets to the boiling pasta for the last 2 minutes instead of 3, then drain well. Frozen broccoli holds extra water, so shake the colander thoroughly to keep the sauce from thinning.
A grainy sauce usually means the cheese got too hot. Always take the pot off the heat before folding in the cheese, and use freshly grated cheese rather than pre-shredded, which contains anti-caking starches that keep it from melting smoothly.
Yes. Assemble it up to 1 day ahead without the topping, cover, and refrigerate. Add the Parmesan and panko right before baking and allow 10 to 15 extra minutes since it’s going into the oven cold, which makes it an easy addition to a holiday spread like my 50+ Thanksgiving Recipes.
Plain dry breadcrumbs or crushed buttery crackers both work. Panko gives the lightest, crispiest crust, but any dry, crumbly topping will brown nicely at 375°F.
Yes. Stir the pasta and broccoli into the finished sauce and serve it straight from the pot for a creamy stovetop version. You’ll lose the crispy topping, but it’s just as comforting.
Yes. Double every ingredient and bake in two 9×13 dishes rather than one deeper pan, so the center heats through in the same time and you get crispy topping on both.
If you like this recipe, try:
Baked Veggie Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow macaroni, or fusilli
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets
- 6 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray an 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the elbow macaroni and cook for 5 minutes.
- About 3 minutes before the pasta is ready, add in the broccoli and cook it for 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and broccoli and set it aside.
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until it turns a golden-brown.
- Slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and simmer 3-4 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Remove from the heat and fold in the cheese, until fully melted. Add the broccoli and cooked pasta into the sauce. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with parmesan and panko.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
https://www.farmgirlgourmet.com/mac-cheese-with-bacon-caramelized/
This looks just lovely. I am a big fan of vegetables and cheese.
I love adding veggies to our mac n cheese.
I love your little Farmgirl twist, Heather. 😉 Beautiful gratin!
This definitely looks like a mac I need to try! I love the idea of jazzing up boxed mac to make it even better and give it your own twist.
Oh my, I could totally dive into that — yum!
This looks so good! and healthy!
I love Mann’s veggies! This is a great dish, Heather!
The colors in this dish are beautiful! I am a big fan of mac & cheese and love this veggie version. I am going to have to pin this and try it out.
Awee..yes, yes I want that bowl please!
This looks fantastic.
Delicious. As a side dish or a main dish! 🙂
This looks so wonderful! I have just come to love gratins recently and I want them all the time!