Whole Grain Macaroni and Cheese
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for oiling dish
- ½pound whole grain macaroni shells, elbows, penne, or fusilli
- 1large broccoli crown, broken into small florets (about ¾ pound)
- 2tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 2tablespoons flour, sifted
- 3cups milk (1 percent, 2 percent or whole, to taste)
- Salt and white or black pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 4ounces Gruyère, grated (1 cup tightly packed)
- 1ounce freshly grated Parmesan (¼ cup tightly packed)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
388 calories; 18 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 586 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add macaroni and cook al dente, a minute short of however long you typically cook pasta if you were serving it right away. Use a skimmer or strainer to lift macaroni from cooking water and transfer it to a large bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and set aside.
- Step 3
Add broccoli to boiling water and boil 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain, and then drain again on paper towels or a kitchen towel.
- Step 4
To make béchamel, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Turn heat to very low and simmer, whisking often and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 15 minutes, until sauce has thickened and lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Remove from heat.
- Step 5
Strain béchamel while hot into the bowl with the pasta. Add cheeses and broccoli and stir together until pasta is nicely coated with sauce. Scrape into prepared baking dish.
- Step 6
Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until bubbly and the top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- You can make a béchamel up to a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator. If you lay a sheet of plastic or wax paper directly on the top, there is less chance that a skin will form. Reheat the béchamel before using, whisking vigorously. The casserole can be assembled one or two days ahead, and the baked casserole will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in a medium oven.
Private Notes
Comments
I know flour is the traditional thickener for macaroni and cheese, but I use eggs instead to increase the protein and decrease the carbs. This works best if you drain the pasta (and I add the broccoli to the pasta and cook them together) add the rest of the ingredients (substituting two or three eggs for the flour) and cook over low heat until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. If you like a nice brown crusty version, bake it. If not, the stovetop version is great.
Good recipe, but yields 6? 6 what? Mice?
I doubled the pasta and me and my two teen boys finished the whole thing without a problem.
I would say it yields 2, not 6.
I used cayenne instead of nutmeg to give a different flavor profile and it was good.
I like the idea of using eggs rather than flour but how do you incorporate the eggs into the recipe? You cook the shallots in the saucepan and then crack 3 eggs and cook and then add milk, etc? Would you mind explaining this part. Thanks.
I can't wait to tell you how I didn't follow the recipe at all. No seriously tho- best advice I can give is use half broth instead of just milk (also used less milk, like others said). And add panko on top. I added shiitake mushrooms which made it more filling. Was delicious! Definitely not bland...those who said it was, I think probably did not season properly.
I wanted to like this since I love Gruyère, but it was very bland. And I’m not sure the whole wheat possible made it better.
Used cayenne, paprika and mustard in addition to nutmeg in the sauce. Added the milk gradually to the flour. I also cooked the broccoli with the pasta, adding it to the pot for the last 3 minutes of the pasta boiling and straining and rinsing them in cold water together.
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