Ingredients

  • coarse salt
  • pepper
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni, 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
  • 2 slices white bread

Method

  • 1- Preheat oven to 375°. 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.