Mac and Cheese, but Fancy

I feel like I have finally been truly initiated into the club of motherhood, after having been "baptized" by Josh's projectile vomit last night.  Surprisingly, this is the first time in his life he's thrown up.  Unsurprisingly, it seems like we've caught the bug that's been going around.  When I was baptized as a Christian, it was in front of other people, and so was this particular event - at our local TJMaxx.  Another mother stopped and handed us her grape smelling saline wipes (saying "Ohhh, I've been there"), so after stripping down (as our coats and shirts all got stained), we drove home in a super-heated car smelling of pizza goldfish, vomit and that grape fluoride you get at the dentist's.

After a day of bread, saltine crackers and Pedialyte, we made the only dinner Josh really devours, no matter how full he is - Mac and Cheese.  Unfortunately, the little guy still isn't quite right and didn't eat dinner, but here is the recipe, and I hope you enjoy it more than he did.

This recipe is adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.  I don't normally like Mac and Cheese, but in the spirit of the Lobster Mac and Cheese that we are seeing in trendy restaurants, we added some extras of our own.

Ingredients:

A box of pasta

1 big onion, diced

1 ham steak, diced

1/2 C flour

1 stick of butter 

3 C milk 

2 teaspoons of Worchestershire sauce

2 to 3 C shredded cheese

We use the Barilla pasta with the vegetables built-in, since Josh is not a big vegetable fan, so we try to sneak it in anywhere, anytime.  Our cheese was a smoked Gouda; we have also tried it with Jarlsberg Swiss, which was also very good.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot.  Add the onions and let it sweat for a few minutes. Then add the flour and stir to make a roue.  The mixture should be a fairly smooth paste and a bit bubbly.  Add the milk, the ham and the shredded cheese.  Stir well to make sure the cheese is melted and that there are no remaining flour lumps.  Throw in a dash of Worchestershire sauce, and season to taste.

When the pasta is done, drain, and add to the cheese mixture.  Stir to integrate the pasta with the sauce.  Check the seasoning one last time (I like a lot of black pepper).  Serve warm.

Now only if the Lobster Mac and Cheese we've ordered had as much lobster in it as we have ham and onion in ours!