mac and cheese

I simply adore mac and cheese but, don't think I have the perfect recipe that I would cook over and over again, like once or twice a month (that's how much I love it...)

when I was a kid, of course, growing up in a family of 12 kids, we ate mac and cheese quite a bit...but, we always and I mean always ate the kind of mac and cheese that comes in a box with the powdery cheese...

so, I am always looking out for a good recipe that very well could end up as my monthly staple...

have had this one copied for several months now, and I am going to have to re research to see what site I got it from (thinking it was from BHG)...

so, it is just Tim and me home and this was the perfect time to try it...Greg does not like mac and cheese and he is still-um-somewhere...

Tim likes it and Sam came over for some and she liked it also...guess I will for sure make it again, it is not my staple one tho...

bow tie pasta macaroni and cheese...

1 pound box of bow tie pasta

2 tbs butter, or margarine

2 tbs flour

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg (I did not have any)

1 pound of white cheddar (4 cups) (I did not have white cheddar and my local store did not have it either...)

10 ounces frozen peas

1/2 pound finely diced ham...

heat oven to 350...

cook pasta in water for approx. 12 minutes...then drain...

while pasta is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, stir in flour until well blended, cook for 1 minute, whisk in 1 cup of milk, stirring continuously until smooth...whisk in remaining cup of milk stirring until slightly thickened, about 5 min.

remove from heat and stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg...whisk in 2 cups of the cheese until smooth...

in a large bowl, mix together the pasta, cheese sauce and 1 cup of the remaining cheese...stir in the peas and ham...scatter remaining cheese over top of casserole ( 13x9x2)...

bake approx. 30 minutes...

OK, like I said I did not have white cheese and I definitely want to try this another time with the white cheese and the nutmeg...it is a keeper...