White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

Recipe Courtesy of Parents Magazine

Prep Time  20 minutes
Total Time 60 minutes
Serves 12

This dish is tasty as is but you can easily substitute chicken instead of ham and add diced tomatoes for variation.

Ingredients

·                                 1  pound  farfalle pasta

·                                 2  tablespoons  unsalted butter

·                                 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour

·                                 2  cups  milk

·                                 1/2  teaspoon  salt

·                                 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

·                                 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg

·                                 1  pound  white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

·                                 1  package (10 ounces)  frozen peas, thawed

·                                 1/2  pound  finely diced smoked ham 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta in lightly salted water following package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain.

2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan (not nonstick) over medium heat. Stir in flour until well blended; cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup of milk and cook, whisking continuously, until smooth. Whisk in remaining 1 cup milk and continue to cook, whisking until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in 2 cups of the cheese until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, cheese sauce and 1 cup of the remaining cheese. Stir in the peas and ham. Pour into prepared baking dish. Scatter remaining 1 cup cheese evenly over the top.

4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven; allow to cool 10 minutes. May be served warm or at room temperature.