Green Mac Cheese Spinach Broccoli (Printable)

Tender pasta in a creamy spinach and broccoli cheese sauce with fresh herbs and spices.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni or short pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed
03 - 7 oz broccoli florets
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
08 - 2 cups whole milk
09 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
15 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
17 - Extra grated Parmesan

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni according to package instructions until al dente. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add broccoli florets. Drain pasta and broccoli together; set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Transfer spinach to a blender.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Sprinkle flour over onion mixture and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, approximately 4-5 minutes.
05 - Add cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Dijon mustard to the sauce. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
06 - Add half the sauce to the blender with wilted spinach. Blend until completely smooth and bright green.
07 - Return blended spinach sauce to the skillet and stir to combine with the remaining cheese sauce.
08 - Add drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly with green cheese sauce. Heat gently until everything is warmed through.
09 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Your picky eaters won't notice the spinach and broccoli because the creamy cheese sauce is legitimately too delicious to question.
  • It comes together faster than delivery would arrive, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a small victory.
  • The bright green color makes people think you've done something fancy, when really you've just been smart about blending.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy when you add cheese, you added it too quickly or the heat was too high—next time remove from heat and stir gently, and it'll come back together.
  • The blending step is not decorative; it actually changes the texture from having little spinach pieces to having a sauce that's smooth and pourable, which makes a genuine difference in how good this tastes.
03 -
  • Shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded—it melts smoother because there's no anti-caking agent coating the pieces.
  • Keep the heat moderate throughout, especially when melting cheese; high heat is the enemy of a silky sauce and will make everything grainy and regrettable.
Go Back