Mac and cheese on the stove

I cobbled this macaroni and cheese recipe together from several recipes, but I made it my own!  It's a stove top recipe rather than cooking it in the oven because I made it in the summer and our kitchen gets really hot with the oven on.  I am always on the lookout for great recipes that can be made on top of the stove.  This particular recipe makes a lot, so hope you have hungry folks!

STOVE TOP MACARONI AND CHEESE

Ingredients

1 lb. elbow macaroni (or other smallish pasta)
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup half and half
3 cups cheeses (see note)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (or not)
1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional)--I didn't use it, but it would probably make the taste sharper.

Cooking Method

1.  Boil pasta according to package directions. I add 2 Tablespoons of salt to the water after it boils.  Drain the pasta while you make the cheese sauce.

2.   In a heavy saucepan, on low heat, melt the butter.  As soon as it is melted, add flour, whisking constantly to make a roux.  Cook the roux for at least 2 minutes to get the flour taste gone.

3.   Add the milk slowly at first to combine the roux and the milk.  Once it's combined a little bit, add it all.  Set the heat to medium-low and cook until thickened and bubbly.  Watch out, though, and don't let it boil!  As soon as you see bubbles, go to the next step.

4.  Add grated cheeses a little at a time to let it melt, stirring constantly. Once it's melted, taste the cheese sauce to make sure it's as cheesy as you want it.  If not, add more cheese!

5.  Once the sauce is good to go, add the pasta.  You can either add it in the same pot or do it in a bowl.  It will definitely take all the pasta and be good and creamy.

Enjoy!

NOTE ABOUT CHEESES:  I used an 8 oz block of Kraft sharp cheddar, 4 oz of Havarti, 2 oz of Asiago and a tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese.  The sauce definitely needs the sharp taste of the Asiago, but you could probably achieve the same results by using all sharp cheddar.  Don't be afraid to use the sharp because the milk smooths it out.  Also, it's best if you use freshly grated cheese because it will blend better.  The cornstarch they use to keep the pregrated cheeses separated, will make the sauce too thick.