16 oz shell pasta or other small pasta shapes
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
¼ to 1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk, cream, or half-and-half
4 oz American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces
8 oz extra sharp Vermont cheddar, shredded
2 tsp – 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (adjust according to your tastes)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce (like Frank’s)
In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly. (If you use the lesser amount of flour, you’ll need to cook it a little longer, but it’ll taste less “floury.” Sauce will be a little thinner, but will be just a cheesy.) Gradually whisk in the milk/cream until no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes. Remove sauce pan from the heat and by the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more. Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce. Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta. Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. Serve hot in bowls with spoons. (You can use white american cheese and white cheddar cheese to make white macaroni and cheese.)
