Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and Cheese Recipe:


Ingredients:
elbow macaroni pasta
1/4 C butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 C flour
dash of salt
dash of pepper
dash of ground mustard
3/4 C milk
~ 4 oz cheese, cut into small cubes (cheddar works well, choose according to taste)

Bring 1 pound of elbows to boil and let cook until preferred level of softness is achieved (2-3 minutes boil for al dente, 5-6 minutes for tender pasta), then strain and retain in pot to keep warm until sauce is ready.

Melt butter in medium sauce pan, then slowly add flour, creating a paste, and sprinkle in salt, pepper, and mustard, as well as any other seasoning you desire (cayenne for a kick!). Add milk to form a thinner paste, and mix in cheese, while stirring. As cheese melts, add more milk if necessary and continue to stir until a homogeneous mixture is achieved. Remove from heat.

Combine sauce with pasta in large serving container and serve to hungry compatriots. Myriad variations exist including mac and cheese with hot dog slices, with salsa on top, with peas and carrots, etc.

This is the Macaroni and Cheese I was raised on and the only kind I swear by, the blue box can shove it.