Macaroni and Cheese with Ham.

There was frost on my car's windshield this morning. A sign of what's ahead. As the weather turns colder, we turn to hearty, warming dishes.  Everyone loves homemade macaroni and cheese. I would argue that this creamy and cheesy dish is the quintessential comfort food. Macaroni and cheese lends itself to many different add-ins, such as tomatoes, seafood, or broccoli. I prefer ham. I think it's smokey flavor complements the cheese perfectly. I have yet to try bacon. Of course, that will be a great addition!

Macaroni and Cheese with Ham

Serves 4 to 6

Preheat oven to 350. 

Ingredients

12 oz. elbow macaroni

1 lb ham (cubed)

bread crumbs

Prepare elbow macaroni according to instructions. Rinse and place in a casserole dish. Cube the ham and also add it to the dish.

For the cheese sauce:

1 cup of sharp cheddar

1/4 parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Hot sauce (to taste)

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup of flour

2 1/2 cups of hot milk

Freshly ground pepper

salt

Heat 2 1/2 cups of milk in microwave for a minute or two. Or heat the milk in a saucepan on the stove until small bubbles appear on the sides of the pan. In a large sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the flour and cook. Stir the flour and butter constantly, for about two minutes. The flour will bubble but don't let it brown. Add the hot milk and stir as the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the mustard and a few dashes of hot sauce. Then lower the heat. Lastly, stir in the cheeses and cook for about 2 minutes more. 

Final Steps:

Pour the cheese sauce on top of the elbow macaroni and ham. Mix everything together. Sprinkle on additional parmesan if you wish. Finally, top it off with breadcrumbs and bake for about 30 minutes, until it's nice and bubbly. Enjoy!