Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli and Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli and Cheddar Mac and Cheese

• 2 cups yellow onion (finely diced)
• 12 oz broccoli florets (bite sized)
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 20 oz sharp cheddar cheese (cut into small cubes + 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese (grated))
• 2 12 oz cans evaporated milk (whole)
• ½ tsp ground cayenne
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken bone broth
• 1 pound pasta (small shape like small shells, elbows)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Kosher salt (to taste)

1. Roast the broccoli and onion. Add the onion, 1 tbsp of EVOO and a big pinch of salt to the large glass container of the air fryer and toss. In a separate bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the other tbsp EVOO and another big pinch of salt and toss, then add to the air fryer in an even layer on top of the onion. Roast at 375°F for 10 minutes.
2. Air fry the cheese. Add the cubes of cheddar in an even layer on top of the roasted broccoli, then pour in one of the cans of evaporated milk and sprinkle on the cayenne. Air fry at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted, then add the nutritional yeast, dijon, and garlic and stir everything together until homogenous.
3. Cook the pasta. While the cheese is air frying, add the bone broth to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add your pasta and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. With a few minutes left of cook time, add the evaporated milk and return to a simmer to finish cooking. Meanwhile, add the cornstarch to a small bowl, then remove about ¼ cup of the hot liquid the pasta is cooking in and pour onto the corn starch. Whisk until no lumps remain to create a slurry, then stir the slurry into the pasta while it’s still simmering to thicken the liquid a bit.
4. Combine and crisp. Pour the cooked pasta and its thickened cooking liquid into the air fryer with the melted cheese and roasted broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed, and for temperature. If the mixture isn’t hot enough, you can pop the whole glass container in the microwave for a few minutes to heat up. Just make sure you remove every minute to give it a good stir. Once mixed and seasoned, top evenly with the grated cheddar and Max Crisp (basically broil) at 450°F for 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on top.
5. Remove from the air fryer and serve!

• Make sure you cut your onions pretty small so they have a chance to fully steam underneath the broccoli! If they’re too thick, they will end up being a little crunchy. If you’re into that, cut them bigger! You can also use shallot instead, which naturally has thinner layers. 

Micronutrient Highlights

70% calcium, 54% vitamin K, 35% vitamin C, 27% vitamin B2 + phosphorus

Main CourseAmerican