Baked Penne with Ham and Broccoli

This is an updated version of classic macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of chopped ham (you may use the leftovers from the Ham Steak Dinner)
• 8 ounces of whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 cups of chopped broccoli florets
• ½ cup of Italian bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 3 cups of non-fat milk
• 3 cups of grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:
Cook the penne in boiling water according to package directions.
During the last three minutes, add the broccoli.
Drain and leave in the pan.
In another pan, melt the butter.
Add the bread crumbs and stir.
Add the non-fat milk and whisk in the paprika until it is scalding.
Add the cheese and continue to stir until it is smooth and creamy.
Pour the cheese mixture over the penne mixture and toss to coat.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
Place the penne and cheese mixture in the casserole dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.



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Hearty Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

Chopped Salad



Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
½ lb cheddar cheese
½ lb cooked bacon, chopped (I buy the microwave bacon in a box)
4 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup half and half
½ head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup of spinach, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 can of black olives, sliced
Italian dressing

Preparation:
Toss the chopped lettuce and spinach with 2 Tbsp Italian dressing.
Place the lettuce in a bowl and layer the chopped ingredients on top.
Boil water and cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
While the macaroni cooks, melt the butter in a pan.
Add the flour to the melted butter, then the salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the cream until the sauce becomes thin enough to stir easily. You may need to add a touch more cream.
Stir in the cheese until melted.
Drain the macaroni. Stir the macaroni, green onions, and bacon into the cheese sauce.
Serve immediately while hot.

Four Cheese Macaroni in the Crock Pot

Four Cheese Macaroni in the Crock Pot
Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 cups of milk
4 dashes of Tabasco
½ cup of shredded Parmesan
½ cup of shredded Romano
1 ½ cups of shredded Cheddar
1 ½ cups of shredded Mozarella
1 pound of elbow macaroni
Paprika
1 package fresh Brussels sprouts
4 lemon slices

In the morning:
Melt the butter in a pan.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir until a paste forms.
Add the milk gradually, stirring with a whisk until it makes a thin creamy white sauce. You may need a bit of extra milk. The sauce should be thin.
Add the cheese and melt it.
Stir in the Tabasco sauce.
Stir in the uncooked macaroni.
Coat the crock pot with cooking spray.
Put the cheese and macaroni mixture in the crock pot. Sprinkle with paprika
Cook on low 8 hours.

In the afternoon:
Cook the Brussels sprouts in pot of hot water for 4 minutes. Serve with a lemon twist on the side.

Note: If the macaroni comes out dry or browned, it needs more liquid. The macaroni noodles soak up the liquid as they cook, so make sure the sauce is very thin when you put it in the crockpot. When it is done, it should be bubbly with slight crispy brown around the edges.