Ingredients
- 3-4 slices cooked bacon
- 5-6 oz freshly grated cheddar cheese (see notes)
- 3 cups broccoli florets (steamed or blanched)
- 8 oz dry pasta
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk (room temperature or warmed)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Measure out all your ingredients, chop your broccoli, and grate your cheese.
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Boil pasta per package instructions (times will vary a smidge by brand/shape) until al dente. Drain and set aside one done.
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While the pasta cooks, start your sauce and broccoli.
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Cook broccoli via your favorite method. I’m a big fan of quickly blanching broccoli in boiling hot water until the florets turn bright green and tender.
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For the sauce, melt 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup) over medium heat.
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Add flour and whisk constantly while the flour cooks off into a roux, approx. 3 minutes.
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Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to taste.
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Slowly pour in your room temperature milk, whisking constantly until smooth and fully incorporated. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it rests.
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Add pasta and broccoli florets to a 9-inch baking dish.
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Sprinkle 5-6 ounces of freshly grated cheese on top of the pasta.
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Pour your cream sauce over the noodles and cheese. Use a rubber spatula to fold it all together. Feel free to top with a little extra cheese if you’d like, then top with bacon.
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Bake on center rack at 350 F for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.