Homemade Mac N' Cheese with Jovial Einkorn Pasta

Last night for supper I made some homemade mac n' cheese for Shane and I to eat. This is the recipe that I half followed (I'm going to cross out the parts that I omitted)...

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1¼ cup warm milk
4-5 fresh sage leaves (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 thin slices of ham, chopped in small squares
½ cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
12 oz. Jovial Whole Grain Einkorn Penne or Rigatoni

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 375°. (It's EXTREMELY hot in our area right now, and for the sake of keeping the house cool, we've decided not to use the oven as much as possible)
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tbsp. sea salt if desired, and cook the pasta for 12 ( I did the full 13 it says to do on the box) minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
3. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a heavy saucepan with fresh sage leaves and let simmer for 3 minutes to flavor the butter. Do not brown the butter. Remove the leaves.
4. Stir in flour and whisk energetically, cooking for 2 minutes until the mixture bubbles.
5. Add hot milk, a few tablespoons at time, while you whisk and continue to simmer on medium heat. Lower the heat and continue to stir, cooking for a few more minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth. (It is important to use hot milk or the sauce may form lumps. If the sauce is thin, bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly, until it thickens.)
6. Stir the cheese sauce in the pan with the drained, cooked pasta. Mix well a wooden spoon.
7. Add half  (ALL) of the grated cheese and ham and mix gently. Pour mixture into a casserole and then top with the rest of the grated cheese.
8. Baked for 30 minutes for large casseroles and 15-20 minutes for individual servings.

 

Here's a kind of crappy picture that I took quickly after wolfing down most of my dinner :)

This dinner was definitely Off the Hook! I added some shredded cheese to the top to give it just a little more cheesey flavor and it was a hit with the hubby, who has been asking for mac n' cheese for a while now. 

I used:

Kerrygold Irish butter ($6.79 at our Costco)

Great River Organic Milling, Organic Specialty All Purpose Whole Wheat Flour ($32.52 for a 25 pound bag on Amazon) 

Kalona SuperNatural organic whole milk ($4.19 at Whole Foods)

Organic Creamery Organic Sharp Cheddar Cheese (I think this is also $6.79 as Costco, but I don't remember exactly)

And finally... Jovial Organic Whole Grains Einkorn Penne Rigate Pasta ($3.82 on Amazon)

What's your favorite homemade mac n' cheese recipe? Have you ever tried any of these products or this recipe?