Baked Ham and Cheese Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 4 tablespoons butter (plus more for rice and baking dish)
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 ounces boiled ham, sliced thin and chopped
• 3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400.

2. 2

   Fill a pot with 3 qts of water and bring to a boil; add rice and stir well.

3. 3

   Cook covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked but still firm to the bite.

4. 4

   Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss the rice with a bit of butter to prevent grains from sticking together.

5. 5

   While the rice is cooking, make a bechamel sauce. Heat the milk till you can see steam rising (do not boil). Melt the 4 T butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat.

6. 6

   Add the flour and whisk till smooth. Add the hot milk a few tablespoons at a time at first, whisking till mixture is smooth before adding more milk.

7. 7

   It will likely be very thick at first, but will become thinner as you whisk in more milk. As it thins, you can mix in more milk at a time.

8. 8

   Cook, whisking constantly over medium low heat till sauce thickly coats the whisk. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

9. 9

   Pour the bechamel sauce over the rice, reserving a few spoonfuls for the top of the casserole. Add the ham and all but 2 T of the parmigiano-reggiano.

10. 10

    Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. 11

    Butter the bottom and sides of a 2 1/2 qt baking dish that is about 3 1/2 inches deep.

12. 12

    Pour in half the rice mixture. Slice the mozzarella about 1/8 inch thick and layer the slices over the rice.

13. 13

    Add the remaining rice mixture and smooth the surface with a spoon.

14. 14

    Spread the remaining bechamel over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 2 T parmegiano-reggiano.

15. 15

    Bake for 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes, the top is not speckled with brown, place the casserole under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or till top begins to brown.

16. 16

    Remove from the oven and allow to settle for about 5 minutes before serving.