Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food recipe, but this healthier recipe is a dinner you can feel good about eating again and again! Made with skim milk, whole-wheat pasta, and broccoli, this is a healthy twist on your favorite cheesy meal!
Fall is here which means I’ll soon be craving all sorts of comfort foods! Macaroni and cheese has always been one of my favorites, but it usually feels more like a “special occasion” dish. Maybe that’s because it’s often loaded up with tons of cheese and butter without a lot of redeeming health benefits. I can’t justify having it for dinner every night, but sometimes a girl needs her macaroni. Am I right? That’s where this lighter broccoli macaroni and cheese comes in.
How to Make Healthier Macaroni and Cheese
This recipe uses skim milk instead of whole milk and skips the butter to cut down on the fat. Using whole wheat noodles adds more protein and fiber, and a healthy dose of broccoli means you can eat your greens while enjoying macaroni and cheese. Cornstarch helps thicken the sauce, and breadcrumbs give this dish a crunchy topping!
The Best Pasta for Healthier Macaroni and Cheese
I like using Bazan chickpea noodles or whole wheat pasta because they have more protein and fiber than traditional pasta. My favorite brands are Barilla, for whole wheat pasta, or Banza, for chickpea noodles. These can be found at most major grocery stores.
What is Chickpea Pasta?
If you’ve never tried chickpea pasta, give it a shot! It’s one of my favorite things to keep in my pantry. This Banza mac and cheese recipe is so simple but filled with protein so it’s great for a vegetarian main dish! Banza actually sells boxed macaroni and cheese which is great, but this homemade macaroni and cheese recipe is even better!
PrintHealthier Macaroni and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Description
Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food recipe, but this lighter recipe is a dinner you can feel good about eating again and again! Made with skim milk, whole-wheat pasta, and broccoli, this is a healthy twist on your favorite cheesy meal!
Ingredients
- 16 oz chickpea macaroni noodles (like Banza) or whole wheat noodles
- 1 large head of broccoli, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups of skim milk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda (or more cheddar)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of pepper
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add in the macaroni and cook according to the package directions.
- When you have about 5 minutes left of the pasta cooking, add in the broccoli. (Check it out, one less dish to wash!)
- You can boil them together until both are tender.
- In a separate sauce pan, heat up the milk over medium heat.
- Right before it starts to simmer, whisk in the flour and cornstarch slowly and reduce heat to low.
- Slowly add in the cheeses until melted. You can turn the heat back up a bit if you need to.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Combine the sauce and the macaroni in an 8×8 pan.
- Cover with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
Notes
I’ve been loving Banza chickpea noodles and I swear you can’t taste this difference in this recipe! If you can’t find them or you’re not a fan of chickpeas, whole wheat noodles will do the trick.
If you’re short on time or you’re craving a really saucy macaroni and cheese, you can skip the baking part entirely and stop after step 9.
You can also prep everything until step 9 a few hours or a day before. Keep it in the fridge, and plan to add an extra time while you bake it to ensure it gets hot all the way through.
I’ve made this healthier macaroni and cheese for friends and roommates, and I’ve even made it for our family’s Christmas dinner! It’s a perfect side dish or vegetarian main dish. Banza Macaroni and cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort foods, and with a recipe like this, I don’t have to save it for special occasions!
Need something to serve with this healthier macaroni and cheese? Make one of these easy side dish recipes!
What’s your favorite comfort food?
This post was originally published in January, 2014. Updated August 2021.
Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I quite
enjoyed reading it, you could be a great author.I will be sure
to bookmark your blog and may come back very soon. I want to encourage you
continue your great work, have a nice weekend!
It’s very straightforward to find out any matter on web as compared
to textbooks, as I found this post at this website.
It’s an remarkable post for all the internet users; they will obtain advantage
from it I am sure.
Ickes at Pennsylvania State University, the foreign exchange
market is much larger than the world’s GNP and even world trade.
The value of one currency is converted into the value of another currency and this is called foreign exchange or forex.
Modern forex trading systems have their unique mobile options.
For currency traders who may plan on being intermediate or permanent players,
successful Forex trading means that you need to gain some
basic knowledge about worldwide economics and trade.
RNCOS specializes in Industry intelligence
and creative solutions for contemporary business segments.
In some instances, certain cosmetics contain higher
end ingredients that are meant to work with specific elements of the body chemistry in order to maintain balance
or fix a particular skin problem. One of the best cosmetic types that will
fit both dry and oily skin is the water soluble cleanser.
Fresh Ingredients: Water (Aqua) , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
, Glycerine , Lauryl Betaine , Sodium Bicarbonate , Propylene Glycol , Fine Sea Salt (Sodium
Chloride) , Perfume , Spearmint Oil (Mentha viridis) ,
Menthol Crystals , Hydroxcitronellal , Methyl Ionone , *Limonene , *Linalool , FD&C Blue No.
The typical regions are the eyes angels, between the eyes and the forehead.
For more Informations Please visit our makeup cosmetics website.
Foundations bases and powders – Lead based foundations (very toxic).
The remaining 5% can be non agricultural substances or non organically
produced agricultural ingredients with strict processing
criteria, e. The company offers different types to
cosmetic products that include lip liners, lipstick shades,
lip gloss, eye mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner, concealer, foundation, body sparkles, blush, AMC Face & Body Illuminator, AMC Face & Body Bronzer,
oil blotting sheets and nail enamels etc.
Even if you are the one who is looking for a specific company, you’ll still want to associate with the one in the company who has had success
that you can follow. The European Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Methods, (ECVAM) is responsible for researching alternatives to animal
testing. Established in 1998, Faberlic has grown to be one of the world’s top
MLM and oxygen cosmetics companies. Cosmetics made with black coloring only
are less allergenic than colored mascaras and eyeliners. The best
way to ensure the products you use are paraben-free is to check the ingredient list for any word containing “paraben. On the other hand, cosmetic testing on animals has become shrouded in controversy with animal rights’ activists vehemently opposed to it.
There are still so many other benefits to taking up swimming as
a sport or even just a form of daily exercise, and as
studies continue to be conducted to determine its impact on health, there will likely be more advantages to be added
to the long list of ways this water sport promotes better overall health.
Scientists and Medical Practitioners are saying that ageing may be treatable and should not be inevitable.
Have sunscreen always with you so you never get caught out.
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back
frequently!
Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to
be running off the screen in Opera. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you
know. The design look great though! Hope you get the issue resolved soon.
Kudos
After checking out a few of the articles on your blog, I seriously appreciate your way of
blogging. I added it to my bookmark website list and will be checking
back soon. Please visit my web site too and let me know how
you feel.
I just could not leave your web site prior to suggesting that I
actually enjoyed the usual info an individual provide on your visitors?
Is going to be back ceaselessly to inspect new posts