Comfort Food

Cold, crisp, woolen-scarf days and long, dark evenings. This is the time of year for comfort food. I was trying to figure out what to do with all the left-over ham from the holidays and found a very good ham casserole. Serve it with a crisp salad and crusty bread.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

4 ounces medium noodles
1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli spears
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon prepared brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked diced ham

Optional:
1/3 cup silvered toasted almonds
1 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Cook noodles following package directions; drain. Cook broccoli just until tender. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter; blend in flour, salt, prepared mustard, and pepper. Stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring until thickened; remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Dice broccoli stalks. In an 8-inch square baking dish, arrange noodles, broccoli and ham; pour cheese sauce over all. Sprinkle with almonds and additional cheddar cheese. Bake ham casserole for about 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Ham casserole serves 4.
*To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.

Note: I skipped the salt, since I'm watching my salt intake and ham already has salt in it. I also did not have prepared brown mustard, so I used regular mustard and it worked just fine.