Baked Macaroni and Cheese With Ham

1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
2. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish or spray the dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water following the package directions; drain in a colander and rinse with hot water. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the milk and flour; whisk to blend thoroughly. Stir in the salt, onion powder, and pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the chopped ham, green onions, if using, and 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted; remove from the heat.

1. Add the drained macaroni to the sauce; stir until well blended.
2. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter; stir until all of the bread crumbs are thoroughly moistened.
3. Spoon the macaroni mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and then sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the cheese layer.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or the topping is browned and the casserole is hot and bubbling around the edges.

Expert Tips

• When you have day old bread, make bread crumbs! Tear the bread up and pulse in the food processor to make crumbs. Freeze the crumbs in a food storage bag and use when you need them. They make an excellent topping for all kinds of casseroles. Or use the bread crumbs as a filler for meatloaf or meatballs.
• Make it a hearty casserole with additional vegetables. Add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of steamed frozen peas, a combination of steamed peas and diced carrots, or cooked green beans. Cooked frozen mixed vegetables would be good as well.
• Add sliced sauteed mushrooms to the macaroni and sauce mixture.
• For a lighter sauce, replace half of the milk with chicken stock or vegetable broth (low sodium). Or make the sauce richer by using some half-and-half or light cream in place of some of the milk.