It’s hard to imagine healthy macaroni and cheese because pasta and cheese tend to be decadent. Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli changes everything! I use healthy and updated ingredients to make this dish deceptively good for you! First, I make a healthier sauce using light butter, whole wheat flour, and skim milk. Add cheeses and some seasonings. Finally, mix everything together with cooked noodles and broccoli. The broccoli lightens up the heaviness of the noodles. You’ll be shocked at how healthy and delicious my Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli is!
Recipes Similar to Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli:
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Family Friendly Healthy Mac and Cheese
How is This Dish Lighter Than Regular Mac and Cheese?
Traditional mac and cheese is made with a roux-based white sauce with lots and lots of cheese melted into it. A roux is a butter/flour/milk combination that is the base for so many sauces, like bĆ©chamel, alfredo, and cheese sauce. My sauce uses whole wheat flour for extra servings of whole grains, light butter for less fat and calories, and skim milk for the same reason. It allows the dish to be eaten freely without guilt. You’d never know this was a guilt-free mac and cheese by just tasting it!
Making your meals lighter will pay off once you step on the scale, and you can barely tell the difference between this mac and cheese and a full-fat variety. For more low fat meals, try my Asian Shrimp Stir Fry!
Ingredients inĀ Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
- wide egg noodles
- frozen broccoli florets
- light butter
- minced onion
- white whole wheat flour
- skim milk
- low-sodium chicken broth
- salt
- black pepper
- reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese
- plain bread crumbs
How to Make Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Preheat the oven to 350Ā° F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the noodles and frozen broccoli, cooking for 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter and onion, cooking together for about 2 minutes or until the onions get soft.
Whisk in the flour and stir for about 1 minute, until it gets thick and smooth and smells nutty.
Whisk in the milk and chicken broth, and bring the sauce up to a boil. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
When the sauce is thick (coats the back of a spoon), remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese.
Fold in the reserved noodles and broccoli, to evenly coat.
Transfer the mixture to the reserved baking dish and top with the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Lightly coat the top with nonstick cooking spray to brown the breadcrumbs.
Bake until the cheese is melted and warmed through, 20-25 minutes.
Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce bag wide egg noodles
- 1 10-ounce bag frozen broccoli florets
- 2 tbsp light butter
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350Ā° F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the noodles and frozen broccoli, cooking for 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter and onion, cooking together for about 2 minutes or until the onions get soft.
- Whisk in the flour and stir for about 1 minute, until it gets thick and smooth and smells nutty.
- Whisk in the milk and chicken broth, and bring the sauce up to a boil. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- When the sauce is thick (coats the back of a spoon), remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese.
- Fold in the reserved noodles and broccoli, to evenly coat.
- Transfer the mixture to the reserved baking dish and top with the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Lightly coat the top with nonstick cooking spray to brown the breadcrumbs.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and warmed through, 20-25 minutes.
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