The Ultimate Flank Steak with Broccoli Mac and Cheese

What if you could combine a perfectly cooked, juicy steak with the creamiest, dreamiest, most comforting broccoli mac and cheese for the ultimate weeknight dinner mash-up? Imagine a meal that satisfies every craving—savory, cheesy, beefy, and fresh—and comes together in about 30 minutes. This incredible recipe for Flank Steak with Broccoli Mac and Cheese is the easy and delicious answer.

This is the kind of dinner that makes any night feel like a special occasion. We’ll show you how to cook a flank steak to tender, medium-rare perfection and how to whip up the silkiest, smoothest stovetop mac and cheese you’ve ever had. It’s a complete, restaurant-quality meal that is surprisingly simple to make in your own kitchen. Get ready to create a new family favorite.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Weeknight Comfort Meal

What makes this Flank Steak with Broccoli Mac and Cheese a weeknight champion is its brilliant combination of smart, multi-tasking steps. While the steak sears to perfection, the pasta and broccoli cook in the same pot. The cheese sauce is then made in that very same pot, making cleanup a breeze. It’s a perfectly balanced meal that pairs the robust, beefy flavor of flank steak with a foolproof, ultra-creamy mac and cheese that both kids and adults will adore.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	30 minutes
Active Prep Time	15 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	4

The Essential Ingredients for This Perfect Pairing

This recipe uses a handful of accessible, powerhouse ingredients to create a meal that is bursting with comforting flavor.

• Flank Steak: This long, flat cut of beef, from the abdominal muscles of the cow, is packed with intense, beefy flavor. It is relatively lean and is perfect for quick, high-heat cooking like pan-searing. The absolute key to its tenderness is all in how you slice it, and we’ll show you exactly how to do it perfectly.
• The Broccoli Mac and Cheese:
  • American Cheese: This is the undisputed secret weapon for the creamiest, smoothest, most nostalgic, and absolutely foolproof cheese sauce on the planet. American cheese contains special emulsifying salts that allow it to melt into a perfectly velvety sauce every single time, with zero risk of graininess or separation.
  • Broccoli & Pimientos: We’re sneaking in some delicious vegetables! Cooking the broccoli florets directly in the pasta water during the last minute of cooking is a genius, time-saving shortcut. The sweet, chopped pimientos add a beautiful pop of red color and a mild, tangy flavor that wonderfully cuts through the richness of the cheese.
• The Butter Baste (Butter & Thyme): This is a classic steakhouse trick that takes just 30 seconds but adds incredible flavor. Finishing the steak by spooning, or “basting,” the sizzling, thyme-infused melted butter over the top adds richness and a wonderful, herbaceous aroma.

Step-by-Step to a Perfect Steakhouse-Style Dinner

Follow these simple, detailed steps to bring this amazing meal together in about 30 minutes.

Step 1: Cook the Pasta and Broccoli

First, bring a medium saucepan of generously salted water to a rolling boil.

While the water is heating, you can prep the rest of your ingredients. Add the elbow macaroni to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until it is al dente.

During the final minute of the pasta’s cooking time, add the small broccoli florets directly into the pot with the pasta. This is just enough time to cook them to a perfect, bright green, tender-crisp texture.

Before you drain the pasta and broccoli, use a mug or a measuring cup to reserve about 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking water. Then, drain the pasta and broccoli well.

Step 2: Sear and Baste the Flank Steak

While the pasta is cooking, prepare and cook the steak. Rub the flank steak pieces all over with the chili powder, and season them generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet (cast-iron is excellent for this) over medium-high heat.

Carefully place the seasoned steak in the hot skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the steak is deeply browned on the first side, about 4 minutes.

Flip the steak over and cook for another 4 minutes on the second side for a perfect medium-rare. During the final 30 seconds of cooking, add the 1 tablespoon of butter and the teaspoon of fresh thyme to the skillet. As the butter melts, tilt the pan slightly and use a large spoon to continuously spoon the sizzling, thyme-infused butter over the top of the steak.

Remove the steak from the skillet and transfer it to a cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Step 3: Make the Ultra-Creamy Cheese Sauce

Return the saucepan you used for the pasta to the stove over medium heat. Add the milk and bring it to a gentle simmer.

Add the torn pieces of American cheese and the pinch of cayenne pepper (if using). Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon, until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is perfectly smooth and velvety.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli back into the saucepan with the cheese sauce. Cook, stirring, until everything is well coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until it loosens to a perfect, creamy consistency.

Finally, stir in the chopped pimientos and season the mac and cheese with salt to taste.

Step 4: Slice the Steak and Serve

Once the steak has rested, use a sharp knife to thinly slice it against the grain.

Pro Tip: Slicing against the grain is the most important step for tender flank steak. Look for the long muscle fibers running in one direction down the steak. Position your knife to cut perpendicular to these lines. This simple step makes every bite incredibly tender.

To serve, spoon a generous portion of the hot, creamy broccoli mac and cheese onto each plate. Fan the juicy slices of flank steak alongside it. Enjoy immediately!

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This satisfying meal is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers are still a delicious treat.

• Storage: Store any leftover steak and mac and cheese in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat the mac and cheese gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk to make it creamy again. Reheat the steak slices briefly in a hot skillet with a little butter or oil to prevent them from overcooking.

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Creative Recipe Variations

This simple and delicious dinner is a fantastic base for your own creative twists.

1. Try a Different Steak Cut: If you don’t have flank steak, this recipe is also fantastic with other quick-cooking steaks like skirt steak or a thinly sliced sirloin steak.
2. Make a “Grown-Up” Mac and Cheese: If you’re not a fan of American cheese, you can swap it for 1 1/2 cups of a shredded cheese blend, like sharp cheddar and Gruyère or Monterey Jack. Note that the sauce may not be quite as silky smooth, but it will still be delicious.
3. Add a Crispy Topping: For some extra texture, you can transfer the finished mac and cheese to a broiler-safe dish. Top it with a sprinkle of buttered panko breadcrumbs and slide it under the broiler for a minute or two, until the topping is golden brown and crispy.

Enjoy Your Ultimate Comfort Food Dinner!

You’ve just created the perfect marriage of two all-time comfort food classics. This Flank Steak with Broccoli Mac and Cheese is a hearty, satisfying, and surprisingly easy meal that is sure to become a new request from everyone in your family. It’s a fun, delicious, and complete dinner that proves you don’t need a lot of time to make something truly special.

We hope this becomes your new go-to for a fantastic weeknight feast!

If you loved making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good steak and mac dinner!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)