This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

This super easy One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese is the perfect recipe for sneaking in vegetables. Elbow macaroni 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 mac and cheese that’s wholesome and delicious. This simple mac and cheese is made all in one pot, in just 30 minutes.

One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese | halfbakedharvest.com

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 stove-top 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 cheesy.

One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese | halfbakedharvest.com

The process

Start by boiling a big pot of water on the stove. Use a pot 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.

One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese | halfbakedharvest.com

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

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 507 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

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.
View Recipe Comments
One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese | halfbakedharvest.com

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

    1. Hi Katie,
      Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx

  1. 5 stars
    Amazing as usual! I had to use way more water, maybe because I had a somewhat large head of broccoli. But I adjusted as I went and it turned out fabulous ? made for a perfect lunch served with some homemade crispy chicken on top.

    1. Hi Trisha,
      Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx

  2. 5 stars
    So quick, easy and delish. Would def recommend and certainly adding to my reg rotation.

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Patricia,
      Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx

  3. Make it for lunch today (3/9/22) for a friend…..Delicious!!!!!
    Instead of the garlic powder and onion powder, I used minced garlic and minced onion. I did not shred the zucchini, I chopped it very fine and only used half. I’m not a big fan of it.

    1. Hi Georgia,
      Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx

    1. Hi Casey,
      Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan

      1. Hi Jessica,
        Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx

    1. Hi Lib,
      Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx

    1. Hi Olivia,
      Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx

    1. Hi Stacey,
      Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx

  4. You had me at mac-n-cheese. This is delicious and creamy. I love having the zucchini and broccoli mixed in. We added some leftover pulled pork to our bowls last night and it was a great addition.

    1. Hi Lori,
      Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    Yum! Had for dinner and for the next 2 days lunches. Husband and I both really liked it. I used lumaconi pasta from target and full fat coconut milk. Made exactly as written and it turned out perfect. Next time I will probably leave my broccoli a little larger, I chopped it kinda small and I would have liked some bigger chunks.

    1. Hi Emily,
      Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) xT

  6. SOOOO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! I was hesitant to make because of some of the “negative” reviews but I’m so happy I decided to make it! So tasty and easy to make 🙂 like other comments say it’s basically broccoli cheddar soup but with noodles – can’t get much better than that! I did add a little more water – but that’s because the noodles I used were a little bigger than the ones pictured! Best mac and cheese I’ve made 🙂

    1. Hi Gabrielle,
      Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan

  7. 5 stars
    WOW! Absolutely delicious. Tastes like broccoli cheddar soup, but in the form of mac and cheese, which makes it ever better! And super easy to make.

    1. Hi Mackenzie,
      Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    Didn’t include the veggies cuz I didn’t have them but it was amazing! At first I didn’t like the Dijon taste but I am literally loving it and will definitely be making this Mac and cheese all the time!

    1. Hi Skyla,
      Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan

      1. Made this with mozzarella and sharp cheddar and I used jovial brown rice shells. Also, used yellow squash instead of zucchini because that’s what was available at the store. I love it!

        1. Hi Julie,
          Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan

  9. 5 stars
    Just made this for lunch because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and it was delicious! I used coconut milk because that’s what I happened to have, but think I would prefer to use heavy cream next time. Thanks for sharing another delicious recipe!

    1. Hi Cori,
      Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go:) xTieghan