Photo: Derby Sage Mac and Cheese with Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound cavatappi hollow pasta curls or penne rigate or macaroni with lines
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 12 ounces crumbled Sage Derby (green-veined sage-scented Cheddar)
- 12 ounces baked or boiled ham, 1/4-inch thick sliced, and chopped
- One 10- to 12-ounce package frozen chopped organic spinach, defrosted and wrung dry
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Heat a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta just shy of al dente, 5 to 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Melt the butter and when it foams, add the garlic and shallots, then season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the flour, whisk for 1 minute. Then whisk in the milk and thicken the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Melt in the Sage Derby cheese, then add the ham. Separate the spinach as you stir it into sauce as well. Toss the pasta with the sauce, and pour into a casserole dish, top with the Parm. Cool and reserve for a make-ahead meal.
To serve, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake from room temp until brown and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.
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By leahdvm2003
Sterling Hgts., MI
on October 24, 2012
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Could not find Derby Cheddar anywhere, so I substituted Havarti, and added a lot of chopped fresh sage (at least 10 leaves. Still did not have a lot of sage flavor, but the ham was a good addition. Spinach added color, but not much flavor--good way to sneak vegatables into the hubby!
By AvengersMommy
Richmond, VA
on October 06, 2012
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Super easy, delicious recipe....but I made a few swaps.
1- Subbed Garlic and Dill Cheddar and Chipotle Cheddar for Derby Sage (I couldn't find it ANYWHERE!
2- Subbed grated white onion for shallots (forgot to pick them up!
3- Added about 5 stems of fresh chopped Sage
but
WOW!!!
My kids, husband and I have a new fave!!
By sgoldr3233_9300362
cordova, TN
on October 06, 2012
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It's a very interesting mild flavor. I've made a lot of different kinds of mac and cheese and was dying to try this one. I never heard of this cheese and it was a little hard to find although the cheese counters(big ones knew what I was talking about. They let me taste it when I found it and it has a very mild flavor. It wasn't hard to make and it did taste very good, it was also very creamy. When she was pouring the finished dinner into a dish she kept saying do you hear that squishy sound that's cheesy and it was noisy. I would make this again, if hesitant do try it you'll like it.
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