When you bake a ham, you inevitably end up with leftovers. How do you use them? Strata is one option. Another is ham and macaroni casserole, which appears in several old cookbooks, including Fanny Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cook Book. I’ve read multiple versions in various cookbooks, mentally digested them and devised my own recipe based on ingredients I had on hand. My version, which the family dubbed “hamaroni,” is like a smoky macaroni-and-cheese casserole. It can be assembled in advance and placed in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until you’re ready to bake it. Allow extra time for baking in this case.
Hamaroni
2 cups dry elbow macaroni
½ cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
3 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups diced ham, fully cooked
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Cook the macaroni according to package directions. In a large saucepan, cook onion in three tablespoons melted butter until tender. Stir in flour, pepper and parsley. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir on medium-high heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese. Stir in cooked macaroni, ham and frozen peas. Transfer mixture to a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. In a small saucepan, melt one tablespoon butter; toss in bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over macaroni mixture. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly. Serves six to eight.
