Broccoli Mac and Cheese

This baked vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese has an easy, cheesy cashew-free sauce, steamed broccoli and chickpeas and a crispy, buttery breadcrumb topping. It's a delicious, easy, kid-friendly weeknight dinner (and a great way to get in an extra serving of veggies!).

This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are our own.

Jump to:

• 🥦 Why We Love This Recipe
• 🧀 Ingredients
• 📖 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
• 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
• 🍽  Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

🥦 Why We Love This Recipe

• Kid and adult approved: This vegan broccoli mac and cheese is a dinner recipe that the whole family can enjoy. Enough cheesy deliciousness that your kids will go back for seconds, and enough vegetables and fiber to keep parents happy! You can also pack leftovers for work or school lunch.
• Easy weeknight dinner: to make this broccoli mac and cheese even faster, skip the breadcrumb topping and baking. It's just as delicious, and it can be ready in about 20 minutes!
• Mac and cheese, with a healthier twist: who doesn't love mac and cheese? Broccoli is the perfect vegetable to toss in for a nutritional boost without changing the flavor. We also toss in chickpeas for extra plant-based protein and fiber, making this a full meal.
• Allergy friendly: many vegan cheese sauces contain cashews, but ours is nut free, so it's great for those with allergies. This broccoli mac and cheese is also fully vegan and easy to make gluten free by swapping in your favorite GF pasta.

🧀 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need for this vegan broccoli mac and cheese:

📖 Ingredient Notes

• Onion: feel free to use yellow onion or shallot in this recipe. We often use shallots since you only need a small quantity (shallots are smaller, so you don't have to waste and un-used onion!). If you're sensitive to alliums, feel free to leave out the onion.
• Broccoli: for best results, make sure to chop your broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. If the pieces are too big, they won't cook evenly. You can also use broccolini.
• Chickpeas: these are an optional addition – we like to add them to give this dish a bit more heft. You can sub with white beans if preferred, or leave them out altogether.
• Pasta: to keep this vegan broccoli mac and cheese a bit more traditional, you can use elbow (macaroni) pasta or shells. Really any variety will do in this recipe! Feel free to use gluten free if needed. (Same goes for the breadcrumbs and flour.)
• Seasonings: you can keep it simple with just salt and pepper, but we find that garlic powder, paprika and chili powder add a nice extra kick of flavor.
• Mustard: it may seem like a strange ingredient, but we find that a small amount adds a nice flavor boost to the vegan cheese sauce.
• Nondairy milk: full fat oat milk is my favorite choice for savory vegan recipes. It's thick and creamy and has a neutral flavor.
• Nutritional yeast: nutritional yeast (aka "nooch") is an inactive form of yeast that has a buttery, cheesy flavor and is an excellent source of B vitamins. It's often used in vegan and vegetarian recipes to add a cheesy, rich flavor to mimic dairy ingredients. We use Bob's Red Mill Nutritional yeast in all sorts of recipes, but it's especially delicious in this broccoli mac and cheese for that savory, cheesy flavor.
  • You can find Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast in thousands of grocery stores across the country or online. We love and highly recommend all of their products. We use their Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour in just about all of our baking recipes!

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

(1) In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoon of vegan butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to soften. Stir in broccoli and continue cooking until broccoli is softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and remove from heat. 

(2) In a saucepan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of vegan butter. Once melted, whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Let the flour cook for a minute or two, stirring often so it doesn't burn.

(3) Slowly pour in milk, whisking well, until smooth. Let the mixture thicken (stirring often), then add in nutritional yeast, mustard, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. Whisk until smooth. 

(4) Add cooked pasta and broccoli mixture to a large skillet or baking dish.

(5) Pour cheese sauce over pasta and toss well to coat evenly. 

(6) In a small bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and olive oil. Top mac and cheese with breadcrumb mixture

(7) Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. 

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Make it gluten free: swap in your favorite gluten free pasta, gluten free breadcrumbs, and gluten free flour. (We use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour!)
• Variations: add in more veggies (or swap out broccoli), like cauliflower, peas, corn, carrots, squash, or leafy greens like kale or spinach.
• Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

🍽  Related Recipes

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📖 Recipe