A wholesome homemade mac and cheese made with whole wheat macaroni, peas, carrots and ham. This recipe is perfect for freezing and using leftover meat (chicken, turkey, roast pork, tuna) and veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers).
Prep Time40 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: main dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked pasta, chickpeas, fully cooked ham, mac and cheese
Servings: 6
Calories: 486kcal
Author: Getty Stewart
Ingredients
2cupsraw whole wheat macaroni375 g box
2Tbspbutter
½cuponionchopped (1/2 onion)
½cupceleryfinely diced
3Tbspflour
1 1/2cupsmilk
1tsphot dry mustard
1/4tspnutmeg
¼tspblack pepper
2cupssharp cheddar cheese
1medium carrotgrated
1cupfrozen peas
1 1/2cupsdiced cooked ham
2Tbspchopped fresh parsleydill or tarragon
Instructions
In large pot, bring water to boil and cook macaroni al dente (slightly firm). Drain and set macaroni aside.
In large pot, heat oil or butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add flour and mix well. Allow to cook for 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk until sauce thickens. Stir in hot mustard, nutmeg and black pepper.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and mixed in.
Add carrots, frozen peas (not thawed) ham, parsley and cooked macaroni.
Transfer to a lightly greased 3 quart (3 litre) casserole dish or a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Or freeze.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze before baking.
Cool mix completely before freezing to avoid condensation and ice crystals.
Freeze in a well sealed casserole dish, aluminum foil pan or freezer bag.
To freeze in a container, cover top with a layer of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Cover with well sealing lid or aluminum foil.
Or transfer prepared mix into a large freezer bag. Remove air from bag, flatten and place on flat surface to freeze.
Label with date, recipe name and cooking instructions and use within 3 months.
Cooking Instructions for Frozen Mac & Cheese
Thaw in fridge overnight.
If casserole is in freezer bag, transfer thawed ingredients to 3L casserole dish.
Bake in preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. If still slightly frozen, increase cooking time as needed.
Video
Notes
Replace ham with cooked chicken, turkey, pork or tuna. Replace frozen peas with frozen broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, spinach, etc.Optional Bread Crumb Topping1 cup bread crumbs1/4 cup melted butter1 Tbsp parsleyMix together and sprinkle on top of casserole just before baking. Can also add Parmesan cheese if you wish.