Ham Casserole

Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Make Topping: In a small mixing bowl combine Panko crumbs (1 1/2 cups), and melted butter (6 tablespoons); set aside.

Make Casserole: Cook egg noodles (12 ounces) in salted water according to package instructions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a high-sided large skillet, melt butter (2 tablespoons). Add onion (1 cup), celery (1 cup), and garlic (4 cloves), and saute over medium heat, until soft, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the remaining butter (1/2 cup) to the skillet with cooked vegetables and melt. When the butter begins to bubble, sprinkle the flour (1/2 cup) over the top of the vegetables and whisk over medium heat until evenly combined.

Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and slowly whisk in milk (5 1/2 cups).

Return to medium heat and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Reduce heat to low and stir in Worcestershire sauce (2 teaspoons), Tabasco (1/4 teaspoon), salt (1 1/2 teaspoons), pepper (1/2 teaspoon), fresh thyme leaves (1 tablespoon), fresh sage leaves (2 teaspoons), 2 cups cheddar cheese, cream cheese (4 ounces), and thawed peas (1 cup).

Add drain egg noodles back to the empty pot it was cooked in. And ham (1 1/2 pounds) and sauce to the egg noodles and stir to combine well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until heat through and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.

When the casserole is heated through, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle topping evenly over the surface. Pop back in oven and broil (watching closely so it doesn't burn!) until topping is golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle top with fresh thyme and fresh sage leaves.