Ham a la King in Pastry Shells

If you're looking for a homemade, rich cheese sauce infused with wine, look no further.  This would be delicious on so many things -- from pasta to chicken to vegetables and everything in between.

I had trouble getting this to thicken, which I think is because I used 1% milk.  I would either reduce the milk to 1 cup or increase the fat content, perhaps even use half and half or cream.  I used 1/2 pound of diced ham and it was plenty.  I think using the full amount will be way too much.  I didn't buy pastry shells -- I used Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits instead.

This recipe comes from a gem of a cookbook I checked out of the library called Cooking with Wine by Virginia and Robert Hoffman.

Ham a la King in Pastry Shells

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, minced

1 pound ham, diced

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup Chardonnay wine or Sherry (I used Stone Cellars Chardonnay)

1 cup frozen petite peas

6 prepared individual pastry shells, baked according to directions

On low heat, saute the pepper, onion, and ham until tender.  Set aside.  (The recipe doesn't say what to do with the peas -- I just tossed them into this mixture at this point.)

In a saucepan, make the cheese sauce by slowly melting the butter.  After it is melted, add the flour 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring constantly.  Add the milk slowly, and continue stirring.  Then, slowly add the cheese.  Still stirring constantly, add the wine or Sherry.  Cook over low heat until it bubbles.  (I cooked it over medium and it took awhile to bubble)  Add the meat and vegetables.

Pour into prepared pastry shells.  Serves 6.

Serve with a Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc.