Gretchen's table: Easter ham mac and cheese
Published in Entertaining
We all like familiar foods on holidays. Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a roasted turkey, Christmas means cut-out cookies and July 4 always finds hot dogs and grilled hamburgers on the menu.
And Easter? In my house at least, tradition calls for a smoky, savory ham with a brown sugar-maple glaze. I'm pretty sure it's graced my Easter brunch table every year since I was a kid — sometimes bone-in but more often than not spiral-sliced to make it easier to make sandwiches.
And that's the thing: There's always leftovers when you have ham for dinner.
There are any number of ways use up ham the next day or beyond, but my favorite is to stir bite-sized chunks into a gooey, decadent dish of mac and cheese. Then, I top the casserole with crushed cornflakes tossed in a little butter for a crunchy finish. It's awesome.
If you're looking to save a few calories or lower the fat intake, substitute fat-free milk and evaporated milk. Also, you can always add a few green veggies to the mix — say, leftover broccoli or peas from Easter dinner.
For mac and cheese
1 pound uncooked rotelli, fusilli or cavatappi pasta
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for pan
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
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