Thick, rich, creamy and delicious: This is comfort food

I've never been one to believe that comfort food has to be rich and fattening to be satisfying. Usually, for me at least, it's all about the memories that food evokes.

I get just as excited about a salad of curly endive dressed with red wine vinegar and lots of garlic as I do about a homemade cavatelli covered in a thick marinara.

But there are days when I want something that will make me feel good, at least when I'm eating it, even though I know the guilt will come soon enough.

This macaroni and cheese is loaded with guilt, but it's so good, you're going to want to eat it anyway. The good thing is that it's so rich, it fills you up pretty quickly.

I recommend using shell macaroni instead of the usual elbows, as it will hold that thick, creamy sauce.

This recipe is adapted from one I've used before. I took it from a simple, rich dish to a decadently delicious macaroni and cheese, loaded with a variety of flavors that all complement one another. It's good.

If you're having a bad day, and looking for a little comfort, this might be just what you need.

Decadently Delicious Mac & Cheese

3 cups uncooked shell macaroni

One-half cup onion, diced

4 pieces of bacon, diced

One-half cup butter

One-half cup flour

1 and one-half cups milk

1 cup sour cream

8 ounces Velveeta cheese

One-half cup grated Romano cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar

One-half teaspoon salt

One-half teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dry ground mustard

One-quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup diced cooked ham

2 cups frozen peas, rinsed in warm water and drained

Cook macaroni according to directions on box.

In a skillet, cook onion and bacon until onion is soft and bacon is cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a large 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

Melt butter in a large saucepan, whisk in flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne and ground mustard until smooth.

Gradually add milk, continue to stir and bring to a boil; cook and stir, about 2 minutes until sauce has thickened. Reduce heat; stir in sour cream and all of the cheese, stir until melted.

Drain macaroni and pour into prepared baking dish. Stir in sauce, bacon and onion mixture, ham, peas.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.