Mac & Cheese [Chicken]

I don't know if any of you are lucky enough to have been to RockBottom Restaurant & Brewery, but it's pretty dang awesome. I first found it in Pittsburgh, PA, where the service, food, and beer were always exceptional. Luckily there is one in DC as well.

My favorite dish there is the Mac & Chicken. It sounds ridiculous, it sounds like something on the kid's menu, but I love it. It's an amazing comfort food, as well. I always try look for recipes that are close to it. Today I found one that seems fairly similar, just substitute the ham for chicken. Martha scores again:

Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 8; Prep time: 30 minutes; Total time: 1 hour
If you like, use just one type of cheddar or mix with another melting cheese, such as pepper Jack, Muenster, Swiss, or mozzarella.

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
8 ounces ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 slices white sandwich bread

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

2. Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3. Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

4. In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Note: This recipe makes enough to fill eight 12-to-16-ounce baking dishes. Divide the macaroni and cheese evenly, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.

And speaking of cooking, on the recipe for Coconut Sticky Rice that I posted a few weeks ago, make sure you are using rice that is ALREADY cooked before adding the sugar and coconut milk. Yes, I was stupid enough to make that mistake my first time making it.