Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Ham

Oh I have such exciting things to tell you...  Sure! Believe me at your own risk.

Dismantling Christmas means that I have stripped the tree of everything except the angel top and the lights. We will enjoy it this evening and tomorrow. I must think of a good Epiphany Supper. Last year, as I recall, I gathered the Nativity Set and plenty of candles and we ate by candlelight. I remember looking up at Nan as she ate her meal quietly and she smiled back at me. It was her first celebration of Epiphany and, quite frankly, she found it unusual and said so, but once she got into it, all was well.

Today I am babysitting for my little sister Molly (the poodle). Mother has a luncheon invitation. Molly can't stay behind at my niece's because my niece has a killer cat who has nailed poor Molly on a daily basis for over two weeks. Molly is quite the nervous wreck over the whole thing with my mom right behind her. Mother and her granddaughter are going to have to figure out a plan. So far, they've tried separate rooms with Molly whimpering incessantly and the cat yeowling. Not pleasant.

Friday, the baby grand (I've got to stop calling him this as he's nearly four years old and it makes him sound like a piano) is coming for the afternoon. I will pick him up at school after going through a security check even though I will have visited twice before...I'm going along for the pick-up run tomorrow afternoon as well. Believe me, if anyone took my baby grand, it'd be The Ransom of Red Chief all over again. He's a handful that baby grand. I already know what I'm serving him for supper. Every single time I ask him if he'd like something to eat he responds hopefully with "mac and cheese?"

So on that note, I'm sharing our favorite recipe for Macaroni and Cheese with Ham.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Ham

Ingredients:

* 3oz uncooked macaroni  (cook and drain)
* 3 Tbs butter
* 1 heaping Tbs flour
* ½ cup evaporated milk
* 4 oz grated cheese of choice (I use several or whatever is on hand)
* 2 eggs (beaten)
* 3 oz chopped cooked ham

Method:

* Heat butter until bubbly
* Stir in flour
* Whisk in milk
* Whisk well and cook until slightly thick stirring constantly
* Stir cheese into slightly thickened mixture until melted.
* Add a small amount of mixture to the beaten eggs to temper and then add the remaining cheese mixture and stir in until smooth.
* Stir ham and macaroni into the cheese sauce and heat until warm without boiling on top of the stove. (This is the way I prefer it; although, the ingredients may be baked in a casserole dish for 20 minutes at 325F)

To clarify, since Robin is questioning the 3 oz of macaroni... Yes, this is correct. This recipe serves four, if you are the type who sticks to such things. If not, it serves two. Sorry that I didn't share that earlier. (If you're dieting, a serving, one quarter of this recipe, equals 2 proteins, 1 bread, 1 fat, and ¼ milk.)

Printable Recipe

ETA Again: Oh my this was sooo good! I thought that I should whip some up because, truth to tell, it's been a few months and I was second-guessing myself. We don't have this often because it is too good...so creamy, so delish. It's hard to keep to a ½ cup serving. I did, but just barely. There's no way that John could though. He's getting the other 1½. For Friday's supper, I'm making a meatloaf, serving vegetables, leaving out the ham, and using this recipe in place of potatoes.