Creamy Mac & Cheese with Ham
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 16
Ingredients
16 oz. uncooked rotini pasta1/2 c. margarine1/2 c. all purpose flour1 t. each salt and ground black pepper (or to taste)4 c. lowfat or fat-free milk4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I use 2 (8 oz) bags of pre-shredded cheese)2 c. (12 oz pkg) ham cubes, rinsed1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 20 crackers)
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting the added salt in the water.
In a 2 qt saucepan, melt the margarine, add the salt and pepper.
Whisk in the flour a tablespoon at a time until it resembles a thick paste.
Add the milk and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened (this may take up to 20 minutes).
Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until smooth and melted.
Turn off heat.
Stir in the ham cubes.
Drain pasta and return to cooking pot.
Pour in the cheese and ham mixture and stir well. If your cooking pot is oven-proof, sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese over the top then sprinkle the cracker crumbs over it.
If your pot is not oven-proof, pour the pasta & sauce mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish or 3 qt casserole dish and top with the rest of the cheese and the cracker crumbs.
Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Makes approximately 16 1-cup servings.
Note: Any pasta can be used in place of the Rotini. That's just the kind I use most often. Enjoy!
Number of Servings: 16
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHRISRAPAVE1.
In a 2 qt saucepan, melt the margarine, add the salt and pepper.
Whisk in the flour a tablespoon at a time until it resembles a thick paste.
Add the milk and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened (this may take up to 20 minutes).
Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until smooth and melted.
Turn off heat.
Stir in the ham cubes.
Drain pasta and return to cooking pot.
Pour in the cheese and ham mixture and stir well. If your cooking pot is oven-proof, sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese over the top then sprinkle the cracker crumbs over it.
If your pot is not oven-proof, pour the pasta & sauce mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish or 3 qt casserole dish and top with the rest of the cheese and the cracker crumbs.
Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Makes approximately 16 1-cup servings.
Note: Any pasta can be used in place of the Rotini. That's just the kind I use most often. Enjoy!
Number of Servings: 16
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHRISRAPAVE1.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 268.6
- Total Fat: 16.3 g
- Cholesterol: 43.6 mg
- Sodium: 699.6 mg
- Total Carbs: 16.9 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 13.4 g
Member Reviews
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EMILYBEMENT
I substatuted ff cheese,whole wheat crackers low sodium, whole wheat flour & whole wheat pasta, EVOO instead of margarine added a wee bit of garlic & parsley.Great idea & base Another time I added fresh broccolli. It sure had my head clicking to all the fun one can have with this base dish . Thanks - 5/18/09