====== Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese ======    
{{ gourmet-macaroni-and-cheese.jpg?256|}}

Copyright © 2005 Geoffrey Alan Washburn

Using the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License

=== Ingredients ===

  * 3/4 pound pasta \\ (I generally use shells or some kind of spiral shaped pasta like rotini or radiatore, sometimes rigantoni)
  * 3-4 cups grated port reserve chedder \\ (one may choose to substitute a younger chedder. I usually grate an extra cup to sprinkle on top before baking)
  * 2 cups milk \\ (I generally use one percent, though skim or higher percentages should also work.)
  * 1 teaspoon salt
  * 2 tablespoons butter \\ (I actually usually substitute a dash of olive oil. Margarine and other butter substitutes seem to work fine)
  * 2 - 4 tablespoons flour or cornstarch \\ (serves to thicken the sauce)
  * 1/2 pound celery \\ (optional, approximately one celery heart)
  * 1 large or 2 smaller red onions (optional)
  * 1/2 pound cooked ham \\ (optional, may also choose to substitute honey ham)
  * 1/2 teaspoon black pepper \\ (optional, more or less can be used to suit your taste)
  * 1 teaspoon dry mustard \\ (optional, 2 teaspoons if from a bottle.)
  * 1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  * 1/4 pound feta cheese (optional)
  * grated parmesan cheese  (optional)
  * Italian style bread crumbs (optional)

=== Directions ===

  - Obtain a suitably sized casserole dish.
  - Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  - Clean and wash the celery, cutting each stalk into thin cross-wise slices. Place the into the dish. Dice the onion(s). Add them to the dish.
  - Cook the pasta as directed on the package so that it is slightly less done than al dente. Drain and add to the dish.
  - Crumble the feta cheese into the dish mixing with contents as needed.
  - Cut the ham into small, about 1/4 inch, cubes.
  - Grate the chedder.
  - Add the ham to a medium sized pot, along with the milk, flour or cornstarch, salt, black pepper, mustard and nutmeg. Stir well until the most of the large flour/cornstarch fragments have broken up.
  - Begin heating the pot at medium heat, and add the butter or substitute. Stir constantly. Be careful to prevent clumping on the bottom of the pot which may burn.
  - Once the burner has reached temperature, slowly add grated chedder while continuing to stir.
  - Once all the grate chedder has been added and the sauce has begun to thicken up, remove and poor into the casserole dish.
  - Mix the contents of the casserole dish so that it is relatively homogeneous.
  - Sprinkle any remaining grated chedder and the grate parmesan cheese on top of the contents of the dish.
  - Add a thin layer of bread-crumbs on top.
  - Place the dish in the oven. Cook until bubbling and/or golden brown (or darker if you prefer a crunchier crust).
  - Remove and allow it to cool for at least five minutes before serving.