The Denver Post’s Wednesday food section is one of my main cooking resources. They do a terrific job, and it’s fun to occasionally get an email from the food editor as well. (They know of me since I often link to their website over at This Mama Cooks!)

I loved reading this story a few weeks ago about a local mom and her kids. Written by Ellen Sweets (what a perfect name for a food writer!) the article is about Pat Freymouth of Colorado Springs who will be representing Denver in the annual Tillamook Macaroni and Cheese recipe contest cookoff. Her “Hamsolutely Pear-y Good Mac and Cheese” took first place among three finalists chosen from the 100 Denver contest submissions.

What was so appealing was how Pat involved her children in creating her winning recipe. As she told Ellen Sweets, “It all began when I got back from the Pillsbury Bake-Off where I was a finalist, but didn’t win,” she says. “My kids were so disappointed.”

But then she found out about another contest, this one for macaroni and cheese.

“So one day we went out to lunch and were sitting around the table, throwing out mac and cheese possibilities. Finally we came up with the idea for pear and ham. Both my son and my daughter were coming up with all sorts of ingredients.”

The Freymouths’ two children, Rusty 12, and Rosey, 7, are high-functioning autistics who love to cook. “We played with the cheeses, adding a little more pepper jack, a little more this, a little more that,” she said. “I even let them have their own cookoff one night.”

This is a terrific example of how to involve your children – even those with special needs – in the kitchen. Not only did the mom advance to the finals, but the entire family won because they worked on it together.

Now Pat will compete in a grand final cook-off in Portland, Oregon for the chance to win $5,000. I’m sure her family will be there cheering her on.

Ham-solutely Pear-y Good Mac and Cheese
Pat Freymouth’s winning entry in the Tillamook Macaroni and Cheese competition
Serves 8

Ingredients:

1. 12 ounces elbow macaroni
2. 1/2 cup butter
3. 1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
4. 1 cup D’Anjou pear, finely diced
5. 1 cup smoked ham, finely diced
6. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
7. 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
8. 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
9. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. 1/2 cup all purpose flour
11. 2 1/2 cups whole milk
12. 2 cups Tillamook Pepperjack, shredded, divided use
13. 2 cups Tillamook Swiss, shredded, divided use

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, add macaroni to boiling water. Return water to a boil, and reduce heat.
3. Boil macaroni, uncovered, for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally or until pasta is al dente. Drain.
4. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
5. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes.
6. Add pear, ham, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and black pepper. Saute for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent.
7. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
8. Remove from heat. Stir milk into flour mixture. Heat mixture on medium high heat until boiling, stirring constantly.
9. Once boiling stir mixture for 1 minute and remove from heat.
10. Turn off heat and add 1 1/2 cup each of pepper jack and Swiss cheeses.
11. Combine cheese with milk mixture until melted.
12. Add drained macaroni and stir until completely combined.
13. Pour into 3-quart casserole. Top with remaining cheese.
14. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm.

Click here to see the recipe for Cheesy Pasta and Lobster Bake Mac & Cheese from last year’s grand prize winner, Ann Jones of Denver. (What is it with us Coloradans and mac and cheese?)

Suggested activities:

• Create your own mac and cheese recipe.
• Be a judge! Compare different types of commerically made mac and cheese. Does Kraft rule?
• Research the history of macaroni noodles and mac and cheese.
• Why the penguin picture? Learn about macaroni penguins (photo by Yan Ropert-Coudert).

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