Broccoli bacon mac and cheese is my homemade mac and cheese loaded with tender broccoli, a sprinkle of bacon, and plenty of cheesy flavor. This one-pot mac and cheese is wonderful for weeknight dinners, great to make ahead, and satisfying for the pickiest of eaters.
One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese
… Also known as the meal that will get adults AND kids to the table, fast! The combination of gooey cheese, tender broccoli, and smoky bacon wins everyone over. Broccoli bacon mac and cheese is a million times better than anything from a box, and almost as easy to make, with three types of cheese, skim milk, and a few easy seasonings in one pot.
There’s just something about broccoli and cheese that even picky eaters can look past. From my broccoli and cheese side dish to cheesy chicken broccoli pasta and broccoli cheese soup, or a big ol’ pot of homemade mac and cheese loaded with broccoli and bacon.
Why Everyone Loves This Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Lots of BACON!
- One pot and only 30 minutes of cooking time
- Broccoli blends in with the cheesy flavors (great for picky eaters!)
- Lightened-up béchamel in the cheese sauce
- Delicious leftovers
Ingredients in This Recipe
I love knowing exactly what goes into my homemade mac and cheese. There’s none of the sodium overload, excess ingredients, or funny business. Just the ingredients below. Find the full list and recipe amounts in the recipe card below.
- Elbow Macaroni – This can be regular or whole-grain macaroni if you’re looking for a little extra fiber.
- Broccoli – Fresh or frozen florets. If you’re using frozen broccoli in this recipe, make sure to thaw and drain it first.
- Bacon – Cooked to a crisp in the same pan you’ll use to sauté the veggies, for more flavor.
- Onion and Garlic – Diced yellow onion or shallot, and freshly minced garlic.
- Flour – All-purpose flour thickens the creamy cheese sauce.
- Dijon Mustard – Mixed with the flour to make a roux as the base of the sauce.
- Milk – This can be skim, whole milk, or dairy-free.
- Shredded Cheese – The best mac and cheese recipe uses not one, but a combination of sharp cheeses and melty, gooey cheeses, IMO. I use shredded cheddar, Mozzarella, and grated Parmesan cheese. Other good options are Monterey Jack, Gruyère, and Fontina. Shred the cheese yourself so it melts smoothly.
- Chili Powder – Optional; add to taste. Otherwise, stick with ground pepper if you’re sensitive to spice.
The Best Pasta Shapes for Mac and Cheese
Elbow macaroni is a classic, but there are plenty of other short pasta shapes suitable for mac and cheese recipes:
- Fafalle (bow tie) pasta
- Orecchiette
- Cavatappi
- Fusilli
- Penne or rigatoni
Start With a Béchamel Sauce
Traditionally, a roux of flour and butter gets whisked with milk to make a béchamel. This is one of the French mother sauces, and the base for the cheese sauce in mac and cheese recipes.
To lighten up the béchamel for this recipe, I swapped butter with Dijon mustard to make the roux and added skim milk and a splash of the pasta water left over from cooking the macaroni. It creates a rich, lighter béchamel sauce without butter.
Bake It Instead
I usually make this as a stovetop mac and cheese (as you’ll see below), but baking is a great way to make broccoli mac and cheese for a crowd. To make this a baked mac and cheese, after combining the broccoli and bacon with the mac and cheese, spread it into a casserole dish. You can sprinkle the top with extra cheese, breadcrumbs, or crushed Ritz crackers if you’d like. Then, bake in a 350ºF oven for 15-20 minutes.
Pin this now to find it later
-
Cook the pasta. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to the directions on the package, adding the broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.
-
Cook the bacon. In the meantime, cook the bacon in a large saucepan to a desired crispness; using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
-
Sauté. Add the diced onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes; stir in the garlic and continue to cook and stir for 1 more minute.
-
Make the base. Whisk in the flour and mustard; cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Pour pasta water and milk into the pan and continue to whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and thickened, about 4 minutes.
-
Finish the cheese sauce. Add the cheeses and continue to cook, whisking, until creamy; about 2 more minutes. Season with chili powder and pepper.
-
Put it all together. Stir in the pasta, bacon, and broccoli. Remove from heat and taste for seasonings; adjust accordingly.
Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 425mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 309mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Broccoli Mac and Cheese with Bacon
This is a lighter version of your typical mac and cheese, but you’d never tell, with three types of cheese in the sauce. I sauté, make the sauce, and finish the mac and cheese in one saucepan. Here’s how to make it step by step.
- Cook the pasta. Boil the macaroni according to the package directions. This is the only step that calls for an extra pan. My lazy chef hack is to toss in the broccoli florets during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, to blanch them at the same time. 😉Afterward, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta and broccoli.
- Cook the bacon. Meanwhile, cook the bacon to your liking in a large saucepan. Scoop it out with a slotted spoon, leaving any bacon fat behind.
- Sauté the veggies. Next, sauté the onions in the bacon fat. If your bacon was especially lean, you may need to add a bit of butter to the pan. After, stir in the garlic.
- Make the sauce. Now, whisk in the flour and mustard, whisk for a minute or so, then add the pasta water and milk. Keep whisking while the béchamel simmers and thickens. After a few minutes, stir in the cheeses so they melt. Season the sauce to taste with chili powder and/or pepper.
- Put it all together. Lastly, fold in cooked pasta, broccoli, and bacon, and taste for seasonings. I’ll often serve this with a side of air fryer garlic bread or pair mac and cheese with baby back ribs.
Variations
- Pulled pork: Swap bacon with pulled pork to make a pulled pork mac and cheese with broccoli.
- Add more veggies: Substitute half the broccoli with cooked carrots, cauliflower, peas, or another vegetable.
- Chicken: Make chicken broccoli mac and cheese, and stir in cooked shredded chicken.
Storing and Reheating Mac and Cheese
- Refrigerate leftovers. I store my leftover bacon mac and cheese tightly covered in the fridge. It lasts up to 4 days.
- Reheat. Warm up the mac and cheese in a saucepan on the stove, or reheat individual servings in the microwave. I sometimes find that the sauce gets a bit dry and sticky with storage, so I’ll add a splash of milk or water and stir often while reheating.
