Mac and Cheese

With a chill starting to show up in the mornings, our minds are now moving into fall colours and food….think comfort food!

This version of Mac and Cheese is comfort food at it’s best……rich and creamy and includes swiss, old cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

In this picture, I have made the version that contains the cooked ham. You could eliminate the ham, if you want it to be a meatless dish. You could also add cooked lobster instead of the ham for a decadent taste.

Enjoy!

Print recipe

Serves	6
Inspiration	Meeta

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 1/2 lb)

Optional

1 - 1 1/2 Cups 1/2 inch thick cooked ham (diced - use leftover from a ham or a ham steak)

Bread Topping

1 Tbsp butter
2 Slices your favourite bread (cut into 1/2 inch dice)

Cheese Sauce

3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
good grinding of pepper
2 3/4 Cups milk
1 1/2 Cups white old cheddar (grated)
3/4 cups swiss or gruyere (grated)

Cheese Topping

3/4 cups white old cheddar (grated)
1/4 cup swiss or gruyere (grated)
1/8 cup Parmesand cheese (grated)

Directions


Melt 1 tbsp butter in a frying pan and toss the bread cubes to coat. Continue to cook until nicely browned on all sides. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. They should be about double in size. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

If using the ham, dice and fry in a little butter until crusty and lightly browned. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 3 tbsp butter and when bubbling, remove from the stove and stir in the flour. It should make a soft roue. That is, if you draw a line with a knife through the roue, the line will just gradually fill in.

Add the salt, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne. Still off the heat, gradually add 3/4 of a cup of the milk until a soft mixture is made, then put back on the burner and continue to add the milk, stirring constantly. When all the milk has been added, continue to stir until it comes to a boil; stir for 1 minute more; take off the burner.

Add the 1 ½ cup white cheddar and ¾ cup gruyere. Stir well and the cheese will melt in the warm sauce. Then add the ham (if using) and the pasta and mix together. Pour into a greased pan. Top with the cubed bread, the 3/4 cup of white cheddar, the 1/4 cup gruyere and 1/8 cup of Parmesan cheese. Casserole can be covered and refrigerated at this point.

Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 deg F oven for 30 minutes or until melted and bubbly. Allow an extra 15 minutes of cooking, if the Mac and Cheese has been refrigerated.