Baked Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

Last night I made something super delicious! I used a combination of two different recipes that I found to create my own version.

Baked Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

Ingredients

16 oz. whole wheat penne pasta

1 head fresh broccoli florets

1 3/4 c. low-fat milk, divided

3 T. whole wheat flour

3 T. dry breadcrumbs (plain or italian seasoned)

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 c. low-fat cottage cheese

1/4 t. salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste


Directions

1. Put large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat an 11"x7" baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix breadcrumbs and oil in small bowl. [I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs because I already had them in my pantry]

3. Boil pasta and broccoli in the same pot until pasta isn't quite fully cooked. [Pasta will continue to cook in the oven] Drain and set aside.

4. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in large heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk with flour in small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. REmove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, salt and pepper.

5. Add pasta and broccoli to the cheese sauce mixture. Gently stir until pasta and broccoli are coated with sauce. Spread in 11"x7" baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.

6. Bake until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.