This mac and cheese suits grown-up tastes

Tonight I made mac and cheese that suited our adult tastes just a bit more than the blue-box variety I used to serve my kids. I just threw in some ingredients we happened to have on hand-- a bit of ham, some fresh spinach, three different kinds of cheese, a shot of Chardonnay. It was really quite good-- a bit lighter on the butter than a traditional recipe.

Macaroni and cheese for grown-ups

1 pound of pasta (rotini, penne, whatever you like)
2 cups grated cheese (I used a mixture of jack cheese, sharp cheddar and colby)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 cup ham, cut into small chunks
1 fresh tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves
3/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 cup milk
1/2 cup panko crumbs

Cook pasta in a large pot according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a deep skillet. Cook onion pieces over medium high heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in ham, spinach and tomato pieces. Stir for about two minutes. Add milk, reduce heat and stir with a whisk for about three minutes until milk is heated through. Add wine and all by 1/4 cup of the cheese. Continue stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Add marjoram. Drain pasta, and pour back into the pasta pot. Stir in cheese sauce. Butter an 11-by-13-by-2 inch casserole dish and spoon in pasta with sauce. Top with panko crumbs. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.