Kingston Cooks!

We had Kingston over on Sunday afternoon.

We played with toys and took a walk to the pond (pics and video of that to come later).

Then we came home and thought about what to have for dinner.  We decided on baked macaroni and cheese with ham.  Kingston helped.

While I grated the cheese, Kingston got started at the stove.

On the counter nearby, he found an empty egg carton containing just a few cracked egg shells.  We apparently forgot about it when we walked away with our plateful of eggs and steaming coffee that morning.  Anyway, he decided the shells would make a great base for his concoction.

May I present to you, The Ponytail Chef...





By the time we were done, we had the egg shells, a bit of water (for stirring), a minuscule portion of grated cheese, and some trimmings from the ham. Mmmm, good. ;-)

When dinner was ready (the one Gramma was working on), he enjoyed a healthy portion ~ and was none the wiser when the garbage disposal gobbled up his culinary masterpiece.

Oh, for heaven's sake, I love that boy!!


Here's the mac and cheese recipe:

Macaroni and Cheese, with Ham

Ingredients

• 1 lb. box Pasta Shells
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk (or whatever you have-I used 1 cup half and half / 1.5 cup 1% milk)
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated (use any combo you like, I used all cheddar)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 or 2 cups Diced Ham
• ½ cup plain bread crumbs and a couple pats of butter

Preparation Instructions

Cook shells until very firm but not done. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in cream / milk and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt as needed.

Pour in drained, cooked shells and the diced ham, and stir to combine.

Pour into a buttered baking dish, top with bread crumbs and pats of butter, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

I used a variation of PW's recipe and made it my own. Here's the original.