This decadent healthy dish is made with lighter ingredients in the cheese sauce, and is then baked to perfection with a crispy topping! You can also skip the skinny swaps for their full-fat friends!
Ingredients
112-ouncebag wide egg noodlesor elbow macaroni
2cupsfrozen broccoli floretsor 1x 10oz bag of frozen broccoli
4tbspsalted butteror 2 Tbsp light butter for skinny swap
4tbspall purpose flouror whole wheat flour
2cupsmilkor skim milk
1cupchicken brothor low-sodium
2tbspolive oilor 1 Tbsp for skinny swap
1/2tspsalt
1/2tspblack pepper
1/2tsp onion powder
1/2tsppaprika
1cupshredded cheddar cheeseor reduced fat
2tbspgrated Parmesan cheeseor reduced fat
1cupplain bread crumbsor 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in the milk and chicken broth and cook until the mixture thickens about 5-7 minutes, whisking often. Stir in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
In a separate pot over medium high heat, boil the broccoli florets for 5-7 minutes until tender. If using frozen broccoli you might need to boil for a few additional minutes. Drain.
Mix the cooked macaroni, cheese sauce, and broccoli in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the mac and cheese mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.