Mac and Cheese with Ham

Have you been to oui, chef? If not, you should.  I got this mac and cheese recipe from him the other day.  It is the BOMB.  Seriously.  We ate it all in 2 days. Mind you, I modified the recipe a tiny bit to suit my household, but don't we all?  That being said, he still deserves the credit for this dish. He got it from a cookbook that he credits on his site.  Look there for more info.
  
Mac and Cheese with Ham

Ingredients:

1 pound elbow macaroni

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 pound ham steak, diced

6 tbsp butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups 2% milk

1 pound coarsely grated cheddar cheese

2 tbsp prepared horseradish

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350℉ and lightly butter a 9x13" baking dish.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.  Cook per package instructions until just al dente, drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.

In a large, heavy bottomed saute pan or skillet set over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Add the ham and cook until browned (this too me about 5 minutes) remove from the pan and set aside.

Set the pan back over medium heat, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly (this took me about 3 minutes) until the mixture turns a light tan color.

Add the milk to the pan, whisking constantly, and bring the sauce to a simmer.  Simmer for about 2 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken.  Take the pan off the heat and stir in the grated cheddar and horseradish.

Pour the pasta into the pan of cheese sauce, add the ham and stir gently to combine.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the top with the grated Parmesan.

Bake in the oven, uncovered, until the top is golden and bubbly (about 35 minutes in my oven).  Next, take the dish from the oven and sprinkle the top with a light coating of breadcrumbs, put it back in the oven for 5-10 more minutes.

Let this dish sit on your counter for about 10 minutes before serving. It is even better the next day.... if you have any leftovers!

Lemony Broccoli

This broccoli is a huge hit with our 11 year old.  Yes, she really does like broccoli!  Try it, you will like it too.

Lemony Broccoli

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli, washed and chopped

1 lemon

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

a healthy dash of olive oil (or butter/margarine)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam the broccoli in a covered pot over high heat for about 5 minutes.  You are looking for a bright green color and the broccoli should still have a little crunch. Overcooked broccoli is mushy and sort of olive green.  YUCK!

While the broccoli is steaming, use a small skillet to saute the garlic in olive oil.

When the broccoli is done, transfer it to a serving dish and pour the garlic over the top. Next cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the broccoli (careful not to get the seeds in the dish!).  I use both halves of the lemon but if you are nervous, only use half. Toss to coat and then salt/pepper to taste.

This dish is awesome. It is loved by my whole family. I even made it for Thanksgiving one year. Try it, you wont be sorry.