Ham gives a wonderful smoky flavour to cheese sauce. Any short pasta is suitable.
This recipe makes two loaves, plenty for the family to eat one-and-a-half for dinner and still have leftovers for Lance to use in a sandwich the next day. You can also use all turkey, all chicken or all beef instead of this combination.
Be sure to balance out all the casseroles with a salad or two. Here's one created by the test kitchen especially for a potluck party. The salad is pretty with its two shades of green and made special with the pecans and tangy oranges.
To save time later in the week, cut an entire head of cauliflower into florets when you're prepping this recipe. Blanch it all as directed and save the extras for other salads or an easy side. Switch it up by using broccoli instead of the cauliflower.
Transform leftover Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak into yummy sandwiches for an easy weekend lunch. Substitute sliced chicken or pork roast for the steak, if that's what you have on hand.
If you don't have pumpkin seeds, substitute your favourite kind of nut or seed. Toast pumpkin seeds in dry skillet over medium heat until golden. (This method works for any seed.)
