Lighten Up Ham & Swiss Mac 'n' Cheese

Lighten Up Ham & Swiss Mac 'n' Cheese

David Venable

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6–8

Ingredients

  • 16-oz whole wheat penne pasta
  • 1/2 cup butter, plus 2 Tbsp
  • 2-1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 5 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
  • 1-1/2 cups Cooper sharp cheese, diced
  • 1 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 (8-oz) packages of ham steak, chopped into 1/2” pieces

Topping

  • 1/4 cup ham steak, small diced
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Preparation

In a large pot, bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil and cook pasta for about 6 minutes, until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup of your pasta water and drain the rest. Set aside.

In the same pot over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup of butter, and stir in the heavy cream. Add both cheeses as well as the ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine until the cheese is fully melted.

Keep warm over low heat.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the 2 Tbsp butter and add the chopped ham and rosemary. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes and remove from heat.

Take 1/4 cup of the ham, finely chop it, and set it aside to top your mac 'n' cheese.

Add the remaining ham and your pasta to the cheese sauce and fold it with a rubber spatula to incorporate.

Pour into a serving bowl and top with the finely chopped ham and remaining rosemary.

 

Cook's Notes

If you’d like a bit of crunch for the topping, try adding whole wheat panko bread crumbs before baking.

Print Recipe