I also knew that I would win extra points with my son who is a self-proclaimed carnivore. He will eat mac and cheese, but is always asking where the meat is in the meal. So, I decided to make him extra happy by adding small diced up pieces of ham into this mac and cheese.
The casserole only takes about 30 minutes to cook if you want to use two pans to move things quickly. So this meal is something that you can get on the table on those busy weeknights without any problem.
It's a great comfort food casserole that feeds my entire family and makes enough for leftovers so I don't have to cook again.
Ham and Cheese Macaroni Casserole
Recipe by Ramona from Kitchen Simmer
Ingredients:
1 box of tube style pasta (any shape)
2 medium red or yellow onions chopped
2-4 sweet pepper sliced
1 pound diced cooked ham (any kind you like)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and black pepper to taste
red chili flakes to taste
2Tbs butter/margarine
1 1/2 Tbs all purpose flour
1 heaping Tbs Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup pasta water
4 cups cheddar cheese (cheddar/mozzarella mix is best)
Directions:
Step 1: Boil pasta according to box instructions in well salted water. Drain pasta 2 minutes shy of fully cooked and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.




Step 3: Add butter and flour to pan and cook for 1 minute. Then add the Dijon mustard and cook for another 20 seconds.


Step 4:
Slowly add the milk to flour/butter roux and whisk for no lumps. Then stir 1/2 cup of pasta water and 3 cups of the shredded cheese


Step 5:
Add cooked pasta and 2/3 of the cooked ham mixture to pan. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and top with remaining ham mixture and cup of cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy.

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Ohhh man that looks tasty! Definitely a comfort food pasta dish. Thanks for sharing, pinned!
ReplyDeleteI love to jazz up simple mac and cheese! This casserole will be a huge hit with our kiddos! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! Happy Holidays, Ramona!
ReplyDeleteSuch a perfect way to liven up mac and cheese. I bit more protein is a good thing too! My boys would gobble up that whole pan!
ReplyDeleteRamona this looks fantastic! Cheesy comfort food for sure! <3
ReplyDeleteDear Ramona, This is my kind of mac and cheese! What a fantastic dinner idea...the family would love this! xo, Catherine
ReplyDeleteRamona, I love those step by step photos! The final product looks so amazing!
ReplyDeleteHam and Mac and Cheese is one of my favorites, I love this recipe too. It look so nice and creamy!
ReplyDeleteYou make macaroni and cheese special. I can see why your children love it so much. Ramona, I am just popping in quickly to wish you and your family a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. :)
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