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This super easy One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese is the perfect recipe for sneaking in vegetables. Elbow macaroni noodles and broccoli are boiled together until al dente. Then a splash of milk, a handful of sharp cheddar cheese, and a little shredded zucchini. Together they create a creamy one-pot mac and cheese that’s wholesome and delicious. This simple mac and cheese recipe is made all in one pot, in just 30 minutes.
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We’re starting the week off right with Monday Mac and Cheese! Growing up, mac and cheese was the frozen Stouffers kind. Looking back, I can’t believe I ever ate microwaved mac and cheese in plastic. It’s a little cringy to think about. But I will say, I do recall them being pretty good.
The sides would get a little crispy, crunchy (which probably meant it was cooked too long? who knows) and the center was creamy, cheesy, and perfect.
For whatever reason, I don’t remember Kraft mac and cheese being in our kitchen. I think the boys may have made it in high school. But by then I had sworn off boxed mac and cheese.
Point is, I love the idea of a quick stovetop mac and cheese. But prefer mine to be homemade and with real ingredients.
This solves that problem. It might not be as quick as popping a frozen meal into the microwave, but I promise, it’s so much more delicious and nutritious.
I snuck in some broccoli, secretly added in zucchini (and you’d never know), while still keeping this creamy and with the best cheese sauce.
The process
Start by boiling a big pot of water on the stove. Use a pot or dutch oven that will be large enough to hold both the pasta and the broccoli.
Once the water has come to a boil, add the pasta and the broccoli. Boil together until al dente, then simply stir in all the remaining ingredients, and that’s kind of it. The key is to use a touch of cream cheese and creamy dijon mustard for creaminess. But the real secret is the shredded zucchini. It helps to create the perfect amount of creamy sauce while adding a vegetable at the same time.
Sounds like it’s going to be weird, but this is fully family approved. The boys didn’t even realize there was any zucchini.
For the cheeses, I love using a mix of melted cheddar for flavor and Monterey jack for creaminess. Together they create that ideal cheese pull we all love so much. A little parmesan could be good too, but then you lose that “classic” mac and cheese flavor.
To season it up, I like to use paprika and cayenne. Perfect combo, you don’t even know it’s in there really, but yet it adds so much to the dish.
Definitely makes it better than the frozen stuff, that’s for sure.
Excited to have this recipe in my back pocket. It’s pretty perfect any time of the year and everyone really loves it. Even Asher, who’s picky about adding vegetables to mac and cheese, loves this. She actually said, “the broccoli makes it better”!
So there ya go! She doesn’t lie.
Looking for other one pot recipes? Here are my favorites:
French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta
- 1 head broccoli, chopped
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 medium zucchini, grated , (about 1 cup grated)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons salted butter, (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the pasta, and broccoli. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Do not drain the water. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and mustard, and cook until the cream cheese has melted and the pasta is al dente, about 4-5 minutes more. Stir in the zucchini.2. Add the cheeses, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and butter (if using), and stir until melted and creamy. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce feels thick, add ¼ cup milk or water to thin.3. Divide the mac and cheese between bowls. Top with black pepper.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this tonight and it turned out perfect! So yummy! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Hey Lisa,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
Just got home from work…Friday night.
not in the mood for takeout.
poured a glass of wine listening to William Prince and made this Mac and Cheese.
This is my favorite!!
Wouldn’t change a thing.
Uncomplicated and delicious.
Hey Lorraine,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
Made this last night. Delicious for sure. I’ve never used cream cheese in stovetop Mac before, I’ve always used Velveta as thickener. This turned out very thick and cheese didn’t fully incorporate into the sauce like I would have liked. Maybe I let the pasta go too long and didn’t have enough liquid remaining? I would probably add more water or milk next time and maybe even scoop out some of the pasta water out into a bowl to add in and whisk the cream cheese & butter and then pour back in.
Hey Becky,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback!! Did you shred your own cheese? That’s going to melt much better than the pre-shredded stuff in a bag:) I hope this helps! xx
Hi! I’m wondering if it will mess up the consistency of the sauce to leave out the zucchini? I know you said it helps make it creamy, but I have an allergy and would love to know if you think it’ll work okay without. This looks so great, so I hope it won’t make too much of a difference!
Hey Katie,
Totally fine to skip the zucchini:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Ended up making this over the weekend and it was perfection – even without the zucchini. Didn’t make any other changes! Thanks for a great recipe! I think I may throw some spinach in next time to bump up the veggie content. 🙂 Definitely a keeper!
Hey Katie,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Hi! This pasta looks unique- what are the names of the actual type of noodle? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.
Hey Dana,
These are from Dellalo and called “shellbows”. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi! Silly question, but does the zucchini cook that quickly if it’s put in raw towards the end? Maybe I’m reading it wrong. Thanks!!
Hey Selene,
Since it’s grated, it’s going to cook super quickly. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This recipe was delicious! OMG. My kiddos loved it too. Definitely making again.
Hey Jen,
Happy Sunday!!🏈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Mmm this was quite tasty. Crazy how much it tastes like real hamburger helper. Good flavors and easy to make. Great comfort food on a cold night.
Hey Courtney,
Awesome!!🌼 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Minus 17 degrees F here in Maine and this was the perfect meal. Stick to the ribs warm, comfort food. The flavor was perfect and I didn’t change a thing. Thanks again!
Hey Susan,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Amazing! This is a special mac and cheese. The flavors combine beautifully, and the meal came together so quickly. This will definitely be going on repeat in our house. Thanks again for sharing another awesome recipe.
Hey Katherine,
Perfect!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! xx
Absolutely loved this recipe – one of the best mac and cheese meals I’ve had; and everyone I cooked for said it was #1. So quick and easy, but also feels healthy (somewhat) with the broccoli and sneaky zucchini.
Hey Kelly,
Happy Sunday!!🪷 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
Has anyone attempted this with gluten free noodles? Wondering if draining the water would be necessary or different?
Hi Alexa,
It should be just fine for you to follow the recipe as written using gluten free noodles. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I used Trader Joe’s brown rice and quinoa fusilli. I messed up and boiled the pasta the “normal” way then realized what I did. I saved most of the pasta water before I drained it and added it back in as needed I made the sauce. Turned out great!
Hey Brenda,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Hi, has anyone else added chicken for protein? I think I’m going to try this but with some chicken. LMK what anyone else thinks!
Hey Jennifer,
I would add some cooked, shredded chicken. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Love Love this recipe. Question?- I do not like cream cheese would cottage cheese as a substitute – do not like ricotta either
Jean
Hey Jeanne,
Happy Friday!!❄️🧑🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! I wouldn’t choose cottage cheese, but that’s personal preference. You could just skip the cream cheese, it’s really just there to add the creaminess. xx
Hi!! I’m making this, this weekend! Can you suggest another one of your recipes to pair it with!? Mac N Cheese is always quickly associated with summer and bbqs so I’m trying to thing of something wintery to pair it with! Any help is appreciated!
Hey Jen,
Sure, I would probably do a salad!
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/winter-salad-maple-candied-walnuts-balsamic-fig-dressing-big-giveaway/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/kale-bacon-salad/
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT