Baked Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese + Roasted Broccoli is a savory twist on the classic comfort food! Ready in 20 minutes and a perfect weeknight meatless option!
Baked Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese. Yummy. We are talking ultimate comfort food here guys. Creamy, savory and so EASY to make! I know good’ole mac and cheese makes it into our weekly rotation a lot, but I thought I would mix it up a bit with this goat cheese version and throw in some roasted broccoli to really round out the meal. The roasted flavor of the slightly charred broccoli and the warm, melted goat cheese is just beyond. Honestly some of the best mac and cheese I have ever had – and I would venture to call myself an expert (when it comes to mac and cheese, anyway)…..
Growing up, I ate mac and cheese at basically every meal my mom would let me. I would have been happy to eat it every single day. Macaroni and cheese and black cherry Kool-Aid. I mean, does it get much better than that for a kid? Probably not. (do they still sell Kool-Aid?…. or has it been outlawed due to excessive sugar…..) When I developed my dairy allergy/sensitivity (I was devastated), I had to find other ways to get my mac and cheese fix. If only I had discovered goat cheese mac and cheese sooner! It still has dairy in it (butter), but no cream or milk. And it. is. awesome. So awesome.
The creamy sauce is simply a mixture of the hot pasta water, goat cheese, butter and a little salt. Mix those all together (the hot pasta water will melt the goat cheese and butter) and then pour over your pasta, add your broccoli, and mix together. That’s it. Quick and simple and completely awesome. Wait, did I mention it’s awesome. Cause it is.
So next week, designate one night to be your meatless meal night and give this guy a try. You won’t be disappointed!
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PinIngredients
- 1 lb broccoli (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1–2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 12–15 oz cavatappi noodles (feel free to use gluten free!)
- 4 Tablespoons ghee (or butter), cut into small chunks
- 10 oz goat cheese, cut into small chunks (Divided)
- pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Heat water in pasta pot.
- In the meantime, put broccoli on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt; mix.
- Place in oven for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly charred.
- Cook cavatappi per box instructions until al dente.
- Save 1 1/2 cups pasta water.
- Drain pasta and return to pot.
- In medium bowl, combine butter, 6 oz goat cheese, 1/2 cup pasta water and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Whisk until everything is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Pour sauce over pasta.
- Add broccoli and toss.
- You can either serve immediately or, if you want to go another step, place pasta in cast iron skillet and cover with remaining goat cheese.
- Broil for 5 minutes, or until goat cheese starts to brown.
- Serve immediately.
Stay tuned – you are going to want to check out my next recipe…. it is chocolatey……
Love,
E
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