Mac and cheese with ham and broccoli recipe

"Mac & Cheese" by flickr user mastermaq

Are your kids picky eaters? Are you looking for something that blends the comfort of rich and creamy mac and cheese with colorful, healthy veggies and meat protein? Heck, maybe you just want a tasty dinner! In any case, this is a recipe for you!

Mac & Cheese with Ham & Broccoli

Ingredients:

4 cups water
3 cups macaroni
2 cups broccoli, chopped (fresh or thawed)
2 cups cheese, shredded (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ pound ham, sliced
¼ teaspoon salt

To Prepare:

First, prep your ingredients by chopping the broccoli, slicing the ham, and shredding the cheese. (Hint: Speed up the process by buying pre-shredded cheese instead of grating at home.) Set everything aside.

Put the water on high heat. While you're waiting for it to come to a boil, get a medium sized bowl (think popcorn or smaller) and blend the mustard, salt, and half of the evaporated milk (6 ounces, or about half the can). Set the bowl aside.

Now that your water is at a boil, stir in the macaroni, and the other half of the evaporated milk left in the can. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently, but don't let the macaroni cook all the way! You only want it to reach a firm, al dente crunch at this stage of cooking.

Stir your ham and broccoli into the pasta. Cover and cook another 2 minutes – now you let the pasta finish cooking! (Hint: Remove the lid a few times so you can give everything a stir. This way, it won't burn. If you do notice it's starting to burn, simply lower the heat on a gas stove, or give it a 30-second break from the burner on an electric stove.)

Remember that bowl of milk, slat, and mustard you set aside? Stir that into the mix, reduce heat to low, and let everything simmer for about a minute. You want to stir almost constantly at this stage.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese. (Hint: You don't need to cook the cheese, because the heat of the pasta will make it nice and melty for you!)

One bite of this, and the mac and cheese you buy at the store is never going to cut it again!

Serves 6-10

Meal Tips:

• For extra crunch, brown bread crumbs in a saucepan with a bit of butter for a minute or two, and sprinkle over the top!
• Feel free to mix and match different veggies and meats, or meat substitutes. Chicken, peppers, tofu -- you name it! Or, if you're a vegetarian, you can simply leave out the meat all together!