Macaroni and Cheese

This year, Megan requested macaroni and cheese for her birthday dinner. I always make my macaroni and cheese from scratch. My kids won't even eat the boxed macaroni and cheese. It's really pretty simple, and it's always yummy and cheesy.

1 pound noodles (I usually use penne, but sometimes macaroni noodles)

2 TBSP flour

2 TBSP butter

1 1/4 cups milk

3 cups shredded cheese (fresh shredded, NEVER preshredded cheese)*

salt, pepper and mustard powder to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to boiling, then add noodles and cook until tender. Drain noodles in colander and set aside.

Melt butter in the pot, then add the flour and stir until smooth, using a whisk (again, this is a roux.) Add about 1/2 the milk to the butter and flour mixture, stirring constantly, until milk is smooth and then add the rest of the milk. Stir constantly until mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Turn heat to low, and add the cheese. Stir continuously until mixture is smooth. Add salt, pepper and mustard powder to taste. Add noodles, and stir until all noodles are coated in cheese. Serve with broccoli or roasted vegetables. This makes a really big pot of noodles, but we eat it all in one meal, with just enough leftover for lunches the next day.

*Preshredded cheese is coated with flour to keep it from becoming a big clump in the bag, but that means that it doesn't melt well. I always buy a 5-pound block of sharp cheddar from Costco, shred it in my food processor, and then freeze it in gallon ziploc bag. It freezes well, is the cheapest way to buy sharp cheddar, and I always have cheese on hand.