Ham and Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bake

May
25
1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 51 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5
Loading...

This is a great way to hide a serving of vegetables – you barely even know the cauliflower is in there. Maybe it’s because of the obscene amount of cheese 🙂 This is a very flexible recipe. You can vary the cheeses (we like a smoked cheddar), add extra veggies (asparagus is yummy!) or change pasta shape. It’s a great starting-point recipe. Originally found in The Oregonian newspaper, then tweaked.

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 30 min   Cook Time: 45 min  

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard
several grinds black pepper
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb pasta (we use elbows)
1 small head cauliflower (about 1 lb) washed and broken into small florets – about same size as pasta
1/2 lb ham, cubed

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.

While the water is heating, melt the butter in good size pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a few minutes to ensure that all flour is well coated with butter. Raise the heat to medium high and gradually whisk in the milk, making a smooth, lump-free sauce. Whisk occasionally as the mixture heats, and allow to cook until it bubbles and thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. When thickened, turn off heat and add salt and spices. Add all but about 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Let sit a minute to allow cheese to melt, then stir until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. (The sauce will be spread over a lot of pasta and veggies, so you want it to have a strong flavor.) Set aside.

Once your pot of water has come to a boil, add the pasta. Cook it for only half the time called for on the package – it should be firmer than al dente. When pasta is one minute away from being done, add cauliflower, stir and cook for additional minute. Drain very well. Dump the pasta and cauliflower back into the large pot. Add ham and the cheese sauce. Mix well, ensuring the sauce gets into all the nooks and crannies. Pour the mixture into the the prepared casserole dish. Top with reserved shredded cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and raise heat to 400 degrees. Bake until it begins to lightly brown on top – another 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

Categories: Casserole, Crowd-Size, Main Dish, One Dish Meal, Pasta, Potluck

Submitted by: farmershae on May 25, 2011




Comments

  1. Jan Jones says:

    Thank you for posting this great recipe. I made this last week and sent it as my donation to a buffet luncheon. When people went back for seconds I truly knew it was a winner. I made this the night before and put in the fridge, baking it at 9am to take for my noon presentation. It brought many, many compliments and I am so proud to say I found it right here at the Chickens in the Road neighborhood. It is a very good recipe and stands up great and takes applause quite well. Jan

Add Your Thoughts



Top

Search Farm Bell Recipes

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
All Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagels
Bean Soups
Beans
Beans, Grains & Rice
Beef
Beverages
Biscuits
Blog
Boiling Water Bath
Bread Machine
Breads
Breakfast
Brownies
Budget
BWB Condiments
BWB Fruits
BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves
BWB Marmalades & Conserves
BWB Other
BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff
BWB Salsas
BWB Sauces
BWB Tomatoes & Combos
BWB Vegetables
Cakes
Candy
Canning
Casserole
Casserole
Casserole
Cereals
Cheese
Cheesecakes
Chilis
Chowders
Cobblers
Coffee Cake
Cold Remedies
Condiments
Cookery 101
Cookies & Bars
Cream Soups
Crisps
Crock Pot
Crowd-Size
Crusts
Cupcakes
Cure & Smoke
Dairy
Dehydrating
Desserts
Diabetic
Dips
Doughnuts
Dressings
Egg Dishes
Eggs
Entertaining
Fat-Free
Featured
Fermenting
Fillings
Fish
Food Photography
Freezing
Frostings & Icings
Frozen
Fruit Breads
Fruit Cakes
Fruit Salads
Fruits
Gift Basket Goodies
Giveaways
Gluten-Free
Goat Cheeses
Gourmet
Gravies
Griddles
Grill-Outdoor Cooking
Hard Cheeses
Herbs & Spices
Holiday
Homemade Cheese
How To
Ice Creams
Ingredients
Ingredients & Mixes
Jell-O
Jell-O Salads
Kid-Friendly
Kitchen Gadgets
Kosher
Lactose-Free
Lamb
Leftovers
Lettuce & Greens
Low-Carb
Low-Fat
Low-Sodium
Main Dish
Marinades
Meat Salads
Meet the Cook
Muffins
Non-Dairy
Old-Fashioned
One Dish Meal
Other Breads
Other Breakfast
Other Condiments
Other Dairy
Other Desserts
Other Main Dish
Other Salads
Other Side Dishes
Other Soups & Stews
Other Special Diets
Pasta
Pasta
Pasta Salads
Pastries
PC Beef
PC Chicken
PC Meats
PC Other
PC Poultry
PC Soups & Stews
PC Veggies
Pets
Pickling
Pies
Pizza
Pizza Crusts
Pork
Potato Salads
Potatoes
Potluck
Poultry
Presentation
Preserving
Pressure Canning
Pressure Cooker
Puddings & Custards
Recipe Requests
Relishes & Chutneys
Rolls
Rubs
Salads
Salads
Salsas
Sandwiches
Sauces
Scones
Seafood
Side Dishes
Soft Cheeses
Soups & Stews
Sourdough
Special Diets
Special Occasions
Steam Juicer
Stocks
Stuffings
Substitutions
Syrups
Tarts
Tips & Tricks
Tortillas & Pitas
Using FBR
Vegan
Vegetable Breads
Vegetable Salads
Vegetables
Vegetarian
Wild Game
Yeast Breads


If you would like to help support the overhead costs of this website, you may donate. Thank you!





Thanks for being part of our community!