Day 105: "New York Deli Mac & Cheese"

Randy loves baked macaroni and cheese.  Abby hates it.  I don't love or hate it.  We don't have it all that often.  But when we do have it, Randy knows it's for him. :)  This recipe comes right out of Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book cookbook which has hundreds of recipes!  I think I have about 5 of her cookbooks.  I don't use them very often anymore as I find myself getting more creative and independent in the kitchen, but it's nice to have them when I want a "twist" on a dish.  So this is baked mac & cheese "pastrami on rye" style!

Rachael Ray's New York Deli Mac & Cheese
1 lb corkscrew pasta (I used rotini tonight)
1/2 lb pastrami
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups swiss cheese
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups milk
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3 TB butter
3 TB flour
salt, pepper
4 slices rye bread, toasted and buttered, then crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400* or heat the broiler.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it liberally.  Add the pasta.  In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour and cook 1 minute.  Pour in the stock, milk, and mustard and whisk together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a bubble, then reduce heat to medium-low and add 2/3 of the cheese and whisk until combined.  Fold in the pastrami.  When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and combine it with the pastrami cheese sauce.  Pour it into a 13 x 9 baking pan.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the bread "crumbs" on top.  Sprinkle on some black pepper.
Bake or broil for about 3-5 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and the bread is browned.