Iron Mike's White Sharp Cheddar N' Ham Macaroni and Cheese

"I ate the most incredible macaroni and cheese with ham that my wife brought home from some fancy restaurant in town known for their Mac n Cheese. (It was packaged in aluminum foil which was formed to look like a swan - I don't even WANT to know how much she paid for this dish!) ANYway - Since Kraft doesn't make this in a box, I thought I'd try out my hand (and whisk) at making it from scratch. Below is the result of many trials (and a few errors...) on my journey to Mac 'n Cheese perfection. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family. There are some recommendations at the bottom regarding different substitutions... I'd appreciate any feedback!"
 
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photo by *Parsley* photo by *Parsley*
photo by *Parsley*
Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
8
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Begin the cooking process of the macaroni- according to package directions; Add cubed ham (to warm) during the final minute or so of cooking the macaroni; Drain and set aside.
  • While water is heating and macaroni is cooking, make your White Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; add Flour and Salt, and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
  • Stir the Milk into the mixture and bring to a boil.
  • Stirring constantly, boil mixture for 1 minute.
  • Lower heat and cook until thickened, stirring regularly about 4-6 minutes.
  • (Don't forget to add the ham to the macaroni as it is cooking!).
  • Remove White Sauce from heat; Add cheese; stir until melted; Pepper to taste.
  • Combine cheese sauce with the macaroni and ham in a bowl (or the macaroni pot); stir well.
  • Serve with a yummy green vegetable on the side like green beans or asparagus.
  • Enjoy!
  • CHEF'S NOTES: You may use Medium/Mild Cheddar or maybe even PepperJack with this recipe as well; I would add a little"kick" with the milder cheeses by adding a clove of minced garlic, or by using salami pieces instead of ham- Yum!

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Reviews

  1. Amazing :)) I was out of butter and used margarine and instead of chedar i used Emmentaler slices - it still worked
     
  2. The sharp white cheddar seems too sharp for my tastes. I will not be eating this batch, which sucks because 8 oz of sharp white cheddar was $7. Maybe next time I will use 4 oz. regular (not sharp) white cheddar plus 4 oz. white American cheese...or maybe Velveeta Queso Blanco?. I was expecting this to turn out like Panera Bread's white mac and cheese but the cheese sauce was way too strong!
     
  3. This recipe is awesome! I tripled the recipe to feed my army and then baked it with bread crumbs on top. I will use this recipe all the time. Thanks for sharing!!
     
  4. WOW! I am a mac and cheese junkie, so I am always looking for new recipes. We were having friends over and one thing we share in common, is our love for cheese:) This recipe certainly didn't disappoint! Very clear instructions and I had to physically remove myself from the kitchen so as to not eat it all before our guests arrived! I made it ahead of time, put it in a casserole dish and warmed it up right before dinner. The only thing I changed was to add a bit of mustard powder to the cheese mixture. Divine! Thanks Mr. Mom!
     
  5. I made this in a crockpot for my family reunion, so I tripled the recipe, added some velveeta for consistency and smoothness (and color) it was an outstanding hit. There was not a morsel left!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Hello!<table align=right bgcolor=#ffa573 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 margin=200 width=306><tr><td><table bgcolor=white cellpadding=2><tr><td><img src=http://www.mikeandkathy.com/wordpress/wp-gallery/2007-08kids/slides/P8220016.jpg width=300></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>I am the husband to my wife and father to my boy and girl, singer, songwriter, and enjoy cooking as a hobby (and even a stress release). Although I'm not formally trained, I can do more than boil water. Going out to eat becomes less and less pleasurable, the more I learn...I find myself thinking, "I can make this...And it won't cost $18.95!" SO - I learn to make it through trial and error, and maybe get some help from the folks at 'zaar! :) My wife and I make our own pizza, our own espresso drinks, and bake our own bread, thanks to recipezaar! I love this site - there's so many new things I'd like to try!
 
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