Ham and Cheese Bowties

  

When I found this recipe I was looking for a good dinner that would use some of my leftover ham from Easter. It looked really similar in nature to the mac and cheese recipe I love, so it was a winner in my book. I found that this recipe was really easy to make and it tasted really good as well. We used Ronzoni Garden Delight  Penne Rigati (which I love because it adds a full serving of veggies to your pasta meal without adding anything extra) instead of bow tie pasta, but that was really the only change we made. Rob had the idea that it might be good if we added some broccoli next time we made the dish. Overall it was a great meal that Rob and I both really liked. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ham and Cheese Bowties

Ingredients

• 8 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Colby cheese
• 4 ounces cooked ham, julienned
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Saute garlic 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and ham.
4. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.