Iron Mike's White Sharp Cheddar N' Ham Macaroni and Cheese

Mr-Mom's Note:

I ate the most incredible macaroni and cheese with ham that my wife brought home from some fancy restaurant in town known for their Mac n Cheese. (It was packaged in aluminum foil which was formed to look like a swan - I don't even WANT to know how much she paid for this dish!) ANYway - Since Kraft doesn't make this in a box, I thought I'd try out my hand (and whisk) at making it from scratch. Below is the result of many trials (and a few errors...) on my journey to Mac 'n Cheese perfection. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family. There are some recommendations at the bottom regarding different substitutions... I'd appreciate any feedback!

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

Macaroni and Ham

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 cup cooked cubed ham

White Sauce and Cheese

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter or 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese (grated)
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Begin the cooking process of the macaroni- according to package directions; Add cubed ham (to warm) during the final minute or so of cooking the macaroni; Drain and set aside.
2. While water is heating and macaroni is cooking, make your White Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; add Flour and Salt, and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
3. Stir the Milk into the mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Stirring constantly, boil mixture for 1 minute.
5. Lower heat and cook until thickened, stirring regularly about 4-6 minutes.
6. (Don't forget to add the ham to the macaroni as it is cooking!).
7. Remove White Sauce from heat; Add cheese; stir until melted; Pepper to taste.
8. Combine cheese sauce with the macaroni and ham in a bowl (or the macaroni pot); stir well.
9. Serve with a yummy green vegetable on the side like green beans or asparagus.
10. Enjoy!
11. CHEF'S NOTES: You may use Medium/Mild Cheddar or maybe even PepperJack with this recipe as well; I would add a little"kick" with the milder cheeses by adding a clove of minced garlic, or by using salami pieces instead of ham- Yum!

Reviews

[CHaas]

This recipe is awesome! I tripled the recipe to feed my army and then baked it with bread crumbs on top. I will use this recipe all the time. Thanks for sharing!!

[Taylor's Mommy]

WOW! I am a mac and cheese junkie, so I am always looking for new recipes. We were having friends over and one thing we share in common, is our love for cheese:) This recipe certainly didn't disappoint! Very clear instructions and I had to physically remove myself from the kitchen so as to not eat it all before our guests arrived! I made it ahead of time, put it in a casserole dish and warmed it up right before dinner. The only thing I changed was to add a bit of mustard powder to the cheese mixture. Divine! Thanks Mr. Mom!

[Deanna Walker]

I made this in a crockpot for my family reunion, so I tripled the recipe, added some velveeta for consistency and smoothness (and color) it was an outstanding hit. There was not a morsel left!