Mac & Cheese

Thanks to Kristi for posting her Lasagne recipe- I am excited to make it next week. As far as anyone else- I know I would love to see some recipes posted. Come on!

I've tried many homemade Mac & Cheese recipes, but this one has been my favorite. When I found this one, I quit looking. It makes a 9 by 13 pan, but I split it into two square casserole dishes and freeze one because there's only 3 of us, and it makes a ton.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
1 1/4 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
8 ounces ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used cooked bacon, I don't care for ham.)
2 slices white sandwich bread

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.
2. Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.
4. In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.