MAC AND CHEESE

Mac and Cheese image

Provided by Miss Banana

Categories Cheese

Time 1h

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

coarse salt
pepper
1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/4 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
8 ounces ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 slices white bread

Steps:

1- Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.
2-Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3-Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.
4-In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining ¼ cup each white and yellow cheddar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 570.9, Fat 25.6, SaturatedFat 15.3, Cholesterol 87.3, Sodium 813.9, Carbohydrate 55.8, Fiber 2.2, Sugar 1.9, Protein 28.3