Quick-Prep Easter Dinner.
Serves: 6 Servings
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb cooked pasta (elbows or medium shells)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ Cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ⅓ Cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping
  • 1 Cup Shredded Gruyere cheese
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon nutmeg
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Honey Baked Ham, for bunny garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Bring a pot of water with about a tsp. of salt to a boil. Cook pasta as directed; drain and set aside while reserving some of the pasta water for later.
  3. In a pot, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour, cooking until combined and thickened to create the roux base of the cheese sauce.
  4. Whisk in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan cheese and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
  5. As the sauce starts to thicken, lower the heat and stir in the shredded cheeses, onion powder, and garlic powder. Continue to stir until all the cheese is melted into the sauce. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce
  6. Remove from heat and fold in the cooked pasta; coat with the cheese sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Transfer the mac and cheese to about 6 individual oven-safe bowls before baking at 400°F for 12-15 minutes.
  8. While the mac and cheese is in the oven, use a cookie cutter to stamp out your desired shapes from slices of Honey Baked Ham. Add the ham shapes to the top of the mac and cheese for the last 2 minutes of cooking to warm lightly.
Recipe by DomestikatedLife at https://domestikatedlife.com/2019/04/09/quick-prep-easter-dinner-menu/