Ham Mac-n-Cheese

I make macaroni and cheese at least 2 or 3 times a month. I usually switch up the cheese, add ham, change the pasta type just to keep it interesting. This version is by far the best one I’ve had in a long time. It was creamy, and cheesy and had a crunchy topping from baked bread crumbs, AND the nutritional value isn’t that bad either.

I made this mac-n-cheese in a 9×13 inch glass pyrex casserole dish and for 6 generous servings the calories are:

365 calories, 13 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber.

Here are the ingredients:

1/4 cup smart balance spread
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
5 oz. Colby Jack Cheese
1 oz. Gorgonzola Cheese
2 generous tablespoons of stone ground mustard
2 cups skim milk
2 cups fat free chicken broth
1/4 bread crumbs (either home made or store bought)
4 oz. cooked cubed ham
Black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot, cook the 3 cups of uncooked macaroni, drain and set aside.

In another pot, melt the smart balance spread and add the 1/4 cup of flour.

With a whisk, cook the flour and smart balance, stirring constantly for several minutes.

Next, add the 2 cups of chicken broth, and 2 cups of skim milk and mustard and pepper. (I probably put about 1 tsp. of black pepper). I don’t add salt because the cheese has salt in it as well as the ham so you don’t even need it.

Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Next, melt the cheeses in and add the ham.

In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, add the cooked macaroni, and pour the sauce over the macaroni. Stir until well combined. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until nice and bubbly.

My sister actually made mac and cheese last week using ALL chicken broth and she said it still turned out great. Who knew? I liked just having half chicken broth/half skim milk just fine though.

Do you do anything special with your mac and cheese??