Broccoli And Cheddar Macaroni And Cheese

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• coarse salt
• 1 lb elbow macaroni or 1 lb cavatappi pasta
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups grated yellow sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• fresh ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of water to a boil; add in salt to season the cooking water; add in the pasta.
• 2 cook for 5 minutes; then add in the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente and the florets are just tender; drain well and return to the pot.
• 3 while the pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over med-low heat.
• 4 add in olive oil and heat with the butter until the butter melts.
• 5 add in the onions; cook for 3-5 minutes to sweat them out and turn the juices sweet.
• 6 increase the heat a bit, then whisk in the flour, cayenne, and paprika.
• 7 whisk together until the roux up, then cook for 1 minute more.
• 8 whisk in the milk and stock; increase the heat a bit higher to bring the sauce to a quick boil.
• 9 once it , drop the heat back to a simmer and cook 3-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• 10 add in the cheese to the thickened sauce and stir to melt the cheese.
• 11 stir in the mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• 12 pour over the broccoli and cooked pasta; toss to combine.
• 13 adjust seasonings, transfer to a large platter and serve.