Mac and Cheese with Ham
Creamy, baked mac and cheese with ham made start to finish in one cast iron skillet. A custard-style sauce keeps it smooth, and it is the perfect way to use up leftover holiday ham.
Servings: 6
Calories: 1030kcal
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 10 oz macaroni any pasta
- 4 cups cheddar cheese grated; divided
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese grated
- 1 egg large; 2 medium; lightly beaten
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- ⅓ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce +/-; to taste; can be omitted
- 3 cups ham diced/cubed
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Over low heat, melt the butter and cream cheese in the skillet.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Cook pasta 1 MINUTE SHORT OF PACKAGE DIRECTIONS.
- Grate cheeses and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, lightly beat the egg(s) in a bowl.
- Add the evaporated milk, mayonnaise, milk to the egg; whisk to combine. It will be clumpy.
- Gently whisk in the seasonings and hot sauce.
- Add the creamy mixture to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Once pasta is done, drain and add to the skillet; mix well to combine.
- Stir in the ham.
- By the handful, fold in the 3 cups of the cheddar cheese and all of the Jack cheese, stirring well to melt.
- Once all the cheese has been melted in, sprinkle the reserved cheddar on top.
- Sprinkle the fresh parsley on top.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until all the cheese has melted and the dish as begun to brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes; serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Cook the pasta one minute shy of the box. It finishes cooking in the oven, so pulling it early keeps it tender instead of mushy.
- Grate cheese fresh off the block. Bagged shredded cheese is coated in starch that makes the sauce grainy.
- Add the cheese by the handful. Fold it in a little at a time so it melts evenly instead of clumping.
- Reserve some cheddar for the top. That is what browns into the good crust. For an extra-golden top, broil 2 to 3 minutes after the uncovered bake.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving so the custard sets and scoops cleanly.
- Gluten-free: use your favorite gluten-free short pasta. The sauce has no flour, so nothing else changes.
Nutrition
Calories: 1030kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 236mg | Sodium: 1937mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1716IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 1054mg | Iron: 2mg
