This 21 Day Fix Broccoli Mac and Cheese is healthy, loaded with veggie goodness, super-creamy, cheesy and filling, and dare I say it? It’s the Perfect Mac and Cheese!
So… do you love me yet? 🙂
Well, wait until you try this mac and cheese. This is the stuff that dreams are made of. No, seriously. I’ve had this dream. You know, the one where I unlock the secret to the perfect Mac & Cheese. Cheesy, creamy, velvety Mac and Cheese. I’m not even talking about the perfect healthy Mac and Cheese. I’m talking I’m never making another Mac and Cheese recipe again ever.
First, I’d like to have a moment of silence for all of the mac and cheese recipes that I’ve made over the years in search of that “perfect” one…
Ok, now… There was the one with the roux – actually many variations of the one with the roux (which all came out slightly grainy). There was the one with the velveeta (a flavor that I liked as a child, but as a grown-up, just tastes kind of fake). There was the one with the cream cheese (which tasted kind of weird). That one that used the eggs (the eggs separated as they cooked and it was… gross). Oh, and the one that I tried out on the same day that I made this one that had blended cottage cheese in it (not bad, but definitely not perfect either). This is just an off-the-top-of-my-head account, I’m certain there have been many more. Like many of you, I’ve been looking for the perfect mac for a long, long time.
I had been thinking about working on a 21 Day Fix Mac and Cheese for a little while now, but lately I’ve seen a ton of people in search of one so I set out to make it happen. I’m here for ya, peeps! I had two ideas to test out. One that included blended cottage cheese and greek yogurt – cottage cheese is cheese after all and I’ve had yogurt in Mac & Cheese before and I really liked it, so I was pretty sure that it was going to be my winner. The other was to make a sauce that had a cauliflower puree base. I have to tell you, I was skeptical about this one, but after using cauliflower puree in my freaking fantastic Individual Potato Gratins I wanted to give it a shot. I added some chopped cooked broccoli to both of them to get some veggies in and bulk them up a bit.
So my daughter and I set to work, made and ate them side by side and I have to say, there was a clear winner. The one with the cottage cheese was really good. We both liked it. It was cheesy and tasty, but it had nothing on the cauliflower version. NUH-THING. One bite of it and we both looked at each other like “are you freaking kidding me?!” It’s all about the texture, people! That velvety smooth cauliflower puree really adds something special to this 21 Day Fix Broccoli Mac & Cheese. It just feels and tastes cheesier. My kids couldn’t get enough of this one – and let me tell you, my youngest is pretty hard to please! I have a feeling we’re going to be making this a lot.
Ok, so, we’ve already made this a lot 🙂
Hope you love it!
P.S. – Looking for a super easy and quick Instant Pot version of this family favorite mac and cheese? Click here!
21 Day Fix Broccoli Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
For the mac & cheese:
- 6 cups cooked whole wheat elbow macaroni (about 3 cups or 11 1/2 oz dry)
- 4 cups frozen broccoli florets, cooked and chopped smaller if they're in large pieces (a 16 oz bag ought'a do ya)
- 1 1/3 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt
For the cauliflower puree:
- 4 cups roughly chopped fresh or frozen cauliflower
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- While your pasta is cooking, steam your cauliflower - I have a steamer basket that I put over a pot of water on the stove, but you could also put the cauliflower in a microwave safe lidded container (I use a glass one if I'm doing this), put a few tbs of water in the bottom, cover and cook in the microwave for 5-7 minutes or so. Once that's done, put it in a blender with the 1/2 cup of chicken broth and blend until it's very smooth. Should only take a minute or two.
- Once you've drained your pasta, put it back in the pot it just cooked in on the LOWEST heat setting, add the cauliflower puree, the cheeses, the broccoli and 1/8 tsp salt and stir until everything is heated through and the cheeses have melted. Taste it, if you feel like it needs that extra 1/8 tsp of salt then add it in and serve!
Notes
21 Day Fix Container Counts: 1 1/2 YELLOW, 1 BLUE, 1 GREEN
Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 9
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups per servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 334 Total Fat: 13g
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A surprise hit for us! I have to say I was very skeptical about this recipe. I have a go-to mac and cheese recipe that is not 21 day fix friendly and involves a roux and a bunch of fancy cheeses. This one was better! Itwas delicious, filling, and my kids gobbled it up! Everyone (except me) had second helpings. My 9 year old declared this “better than the box”. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely be making it again.
Ah! This made my day! I don’t know if you read the post, but I felt the same way, I was so surprised at how much I loved this one 🙂 And “Better than the box” is SO freaking awesome coming from a kiddo!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
WOW! I made this tonight for dinner. The cauliflower puree made this dish SO creamy. It was wonderful and my kids didn’t even notice it had cauliflower in it. I did add one teaspoon of dijon mustard and 2 gloves of minced garlic. I made this into a casserole by adding diced chicken and some diced tomato.. Really was a fantastic meal. Thank you. I have found so many wonderful recipes with cauliflower and am pleased every time.
Yay!! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it and your additions sound delicious! Cauliflower is serious magic, isn’t it! I just used some to make hollandaise recently and it was amazing!
I do not have any chicken broth do you think it will work with just water to make the puree??
Sure!
Hi!
FIrst off… I completely LOVE this recipe. I loved how creamy it was, and the bf who isn’t totally crazy about all these veggies loved it too!
Next question… would cauliflower rice work in this recipe? The chopping and steaming was just kind of a drag to get that much out of it… I’ll do it! But I was just curious since I have some on hand!
Hey Katie! I’m so glad you guys liked it! I’m actually making it tonight 😉 You can ABSOLUTELY use cauliflower rice! Go for it!
I was looking for a tasty Mac and cheese recipe and this did not disappoint! I searched on Pinterest for quite some before I decided to make this one. I chose this receipt after reading all the positive comments and I’m so glad I did! It was creamy and although there is a very, very slight after taste of cauliflower, it tasted like a darn good homemade Mac and cheese! Thanks for posting!
This made my day, Lindsay! I’m so glad you liked it!!
Wow!! This was great I shared it amungst my Beachbody friends. The cauliflower purée opened new doors for me. Easy and couldn’t really taste it. Just knowing it was in their and healthy was enough for me. Thanks for sharing this!! I’m surprised when all done and ready to be portioned that a cup and a quarter was a meal. Seems so much and maybe I read you wrong. I’m happy.
I’m so happy you liked it, Laura! I LOVE using the cauliflower puree for so many things… it’s really great for thickening soups! And yep, a cup and a quarter is 1 serving <3
Could you use raced cauliflower instead of steaming fresh??
Absolutely!
My mother always baked her homemade mac and cheese – do you think you could do that with this? Pour it into a casserole dish and bake it for like 20min or so?
Hey Karen! I haven’t done it myself, but I don’t see why not! Though you may want to add a little extra of the cauliflower puree so it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
Can you use fresh broccoli instead of frozen? We already have some on hand which is why I’m wondering if that’ll work. Thank you! ?
Hey Rachel! Fresh broccoli will definitely work!
This was absolutely delicious!! I added some roasted chicken and my kids literally devoured it. It was a little labour intensive, but makes a large quantity. Thanks for sharing!!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that, Tanya! My kids go crazy for this one, too!
Any way to make this in a crock pot?
Hi Sarah! Honestly I can’t think of a way to make this in the crockpot that would work out very well. Sorry! I hope you still give it a shot 🙂
This looks amazing!! I’ve been wanting to also try cauliflower sauce to make a tomato cream sauce, but I will definitely make this first! Question for you – are you counting the cauliflower towards the green at all?
Hi, Miranda! Yes, I’m counting it, but the actual cauliflower used ends up being very little (once divided up by the amount of servings this makes). Hope you like it!
Sounds delicious. Does this reheat well? I would probably be the only one to eat it.
Yes it does! I’ve been told it freezes really well too 🙂
I am so excited to try this. I found the mac and cheese recipe in FIXATE to be incredibly disappointing, so this is really looking good to me. Thank you!
Oh good, Dsayko! I hope you like this one!
Hello! I am going to make this tomorrow for dinner. What do I use to measure my serving size once it’s all combined and cooked? Thank you.
Hi Shannon! Each serving is 1 1/4 cups. 🙂
Wow this looks amazing! I am going to make this, this coming weekend for my husband who cannot live without Mac and cheese. Quick question about the cauliflower purée: does it matter if it’s frozen cauliflower and I steam it and then purée, or does it need to be fresh?? I’ve got a ton of frozen cauliflower in my freezer right now. Thanks!
Hi Amanda! You can definitely use frozen! Hope you guys love it! (I can’t live without Mac and Cheese either 🙂 )
I made this for dinner tonight. (Day 1 of 21 day fix). I expected it to taste good but not like the real thing. I was so pleasantly surprised!!! Tastes just like regular Mac and cheese! Love it!
Thanks for the recipe!!
So glad you liked it, Kathleen!!
Thanks for the recipe! It is great in its own but I wanted an easy one container meal to take to work so added more veggies (extra broccoli and asparagus) and some leftover grilled chicken. It was fantastic! Thanks again for making this transition easy for this pasta lover!
Awesome, TJ, I’m glad you liked it! I bet the asparagus was great, that sounds so good!
I got all the ingredients and am ready to start cooking!! Looks delicious!
Awesome, Jody! I hope you love it 🙂
I wish I could eat a little more for a serving, but it is delicious! It is worth using my blue container for the day.
Thanks!
Glad you liked it, Jody! I know what you mean, I can put away some pasta!
My BB Coach shared your link in our next challenge group that starts tomorrow. So excited to try this!!!!!!
That’s awesome, I hope you love it! Tell her I said thanks!
Can’t wait to try this 🙂 now the containers this makes is it for each portion or total? I wanna make sure i do it right
Hi Jessica! The container counts are per serving 🙂
Have you ever tried freezing this?
Sorry, I haven’t!
I just made this, and it was delicious!
Awesome, thanks, Heather!!
This recipe is very good! My husband and I are doing Hammer & Chisel. Autumn and Sagi teamed up, so the nutrition plan is identical to the 21 day fix. We both love it! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Rachel! Glad you guys liked it! I’ve heard great things about Hammer & Chisel but haven’t checked it out yet myself. Good to know that the meal plan is the same!
I am day 1 post-21 day fix challenge and was looking for a casserole-type thing to use up leftover turkey. This was perfect, plus I added some red pepper. I didn’t get what the purpose of the cauliflower puree was until I mixed it altogether and got it – a creamier texture without actual cream or more cheese. The boyfriend said it was GREAT (he had no idea I used the cauliflower puree).
The only adjustments I made were I used about 1/3 of the cooked macaroni (seriously, six cups of mac is A TON) and divided cheese in two portions: 2 cups and then 2/3. After everything cooked up together in the stove top, I poured it into a casserole dish and cooked it at 355 for 15 minutes, topping it with the remaining 2/3 of cheese. It gave it a pretty good appearance that it was nothing but cheesy goodness!
I’m so glad you guys liked it, Tiffany! What a great idea to save some cheese for the top, I might just have to do that next time 😉
Silly question… I only have 3 cups of cauliflower!! Is that enough to make this??
Thank you!
Hi CJ! I always have some of the cauliflower sauce leftover when I use four cups anyway, so I think three would be ok. You may have a little less sauce than normal, but it shouldn’t be a big deal. I would still make it (and wouldn’t bother picking up more cauliflower either) if it were me 🙂
Is it really only 1/2 a green with the cauliflower and broccoli?
Hi Caitlyn! Yes, once the broccoli cooks down, you end up with around 4 cups veggies total (including the cauliflower puree, which is partially chicken broth), so when you divide that into 8 servings, it’s 1/2 green per serving. You may end up with a little less or a little more depending on how your veggies cook, but that was how it worked out for me both times that I tested and measured everything for this recipe.
I can not wait to make this recipe! I am going to add a litle ground chicken to it for more protien. I do have a question, I have been struggling finding a pasta that is good for 21DFX and taste good too. Do you have any recomendations?
Hi, Robin! My favorite whole grain pasta is Barilla. I also know quite a few people who swear by quinoa pasta but I keep forgetting to look for it at the store so I haven’t tried it yet 🙂
Quinoa pasta is a much better alternative than whole wheat or whole grain the only problem is that fact it is a protein
So, I made this last night. It was fine, but not as creamy as I wanted. No matter what I do, I simply can not get cauliflower puree to be smooth. I used my Ninja and then tried again with my immersion stick blender. The final product was still grainy. Any thoughts?
Oh, bummer! Is it possible that the cauliflower didn’t cook long enough? It has to be super-soft, falling apart. I’ve had something similar happen to me when I was making mashed cauliflower… it came out kind of gritty and I figured out that that was why. I’m not using a high-powered blender or anything, just a regular Oster and as long as I cook the cauliflower long enough it always comes out really smooth. We’ve even used the mixture to make a cauliflower soup and it worked out really well. I hope that helps!
Let your cauliflower dry longer and it will be thicker
Thank you so much for this recipe! Can’t wait to make it after reading all of the amazing reviews. I am starting 21 Day Fix and I am a stay at home/working mom. This will be a great easy recipe for everyone in our house!
Your welcome, Lisa! I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does 🙂 If you haven’t already, check out the Tips and Tricks section of the blog, there’s some helpful info there for beginners… good luck on your first round of 21DF, that’s so exciting!
What is the serving size for this? Or how many servings in this recipe?
Hi Marcella! This recipe makes 8 servings at about 1 1/4 cups each 🙂
Have you ever tried adding chicken to the recipe? I was thinking that would make it a nice rounded meal.
Hi Justina! I haven’t, but I’m sure it would be great! I usually make homemade fish sticks with it for a protein because my kiddos are into them 🙂
OMG, this was so good! It totally hit my cheesey pasta craving! It was the first time I ever made and used cauliflower purée and I can say I will be making this again and again and again. The real test was my girls and they loved this dish as well! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this goodness! Now, could you please create an amazing fix brownie?!
I’m so glad you’re family enjoyed the mac, Amy, you made my day! It’s one of my family’s favorites! I’ll see what I can do about that brownie (I LOVE brownies!!), in the meantime, you should check out my Cocoa-Banana Oat Bars! They really help kill a chocolate craving 🙂
Run, don’t walk, to your kitchen and make this mac and cheese recipe right now! (I’m serious. Children and small animals will instinctively move out of the way when they see the look in your eyes.) As a brand newish Fixer involved in a lifelong love affair with a variety of fake cheeses (Cheetos, anyone?), I was doubtful that a recipe containing cauliflower puree could ever stand up to my beloved shells and cheese. Boy, was I wrong. This one is definitely going into the regular rotation!
Yay! I’m glad you liked it! The cauliflower puree was a pleasant surprise for me, too – it’s going to have lots of fun uses, can’t wait to experiment 🙂
This might be a stupid question, but I am new to the 21 day fix program. My question is, when you are making a recipie like this, how do you know how much of the containers to count it as? Any suggestions would be helpful. Some of it makes sense but not all of it.
Congrats on starting the 21 Day Fix, Kathy! It’s not a stupid question, casseroles like this can be confusing. Basically you’re adding up the containers for each ingredient and then dividing by the number of servings. For example, this recipe calls for 6 cups of cooked pasta. 6 cups = 12 yellows. Since there are 8 servings, that equals out to 1 1/2 yellows per serving. I hope that makes sense. Then I would go on to the next ingredient, then the next, etc. – Btw, I figured out the measurements of the containers by pouring water into them and measuring the water. I’m not allowed to share this information, but it’s something that you can do at home.
I use standard measurements on the blog so that anyone can use the recipes, and then figure out the container equivalents for us fixers. 🙂 If you’re still having questions about this, please feel free to message me (under “contact me” in the menu) and I’ll be happy to personally chat with you and help clarify this or any other questions you may have. Good luck!
Is the serving size for this 1 and 1/4 cup or is it measured via container? Please let me know, thanks!
Yep, the serving size for this is 1 1/4 cups, which you’ll then count as 1 1/2 yellows, 1 blue and 1/2 green 🙂