Creamy, Yummy Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't love Mac and Cheese, right? I do and I honestly I can't think of anyone I know who is anti-mac. It is the ultimate comfort food and I cook it more often than I'd like to admit. I suppose you could make some changes and have yourself a lower fat version, but what's the point really? If you're going to make mac and cheese you might as well go all out! This recipe makes enough to fill an 8 x 8 baking dish, but you could easily double it for more.

1/2 a box mini penne or elbow pasta - really any shape you like will work. Little shells would probably be great too...or rotini for that matter...i digress...
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour (not the self rising kind)
3 cups milk (i use 2% and sometimes add a little whole, half & half, or cream...whatever is on hand to fatten it up..like it needs it!)
1 and 1/2 blocks of cheese, grated (a nice sharp cheddar is good...so is colby jack or a combo of cheeses..your call! side note on cheese: please buy a block and grate it yourself. The pre-shredded stuff is coated in a waxy something and it just isn't right!)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste
pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
set a big pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta (remember you are only using half the box)to al dente perfection! drain but don't rinse
this may entail some multi tasking, but if I can do it so can you!
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat, once melted add flour and whisk to incorporate butter and flour together (ps. this is called a roux and it's the base for a lot of yummy things!)
keep moving the mixture around with the whisk until as my mama says, "the pasty smell goes away", probably 2-3 minutes
slowly whisk in the milk, being sure to combine everything really well (ps. at this point you are basically making a bechamel or white sauce...yum!)
sprinkle in a pinch of salt
turn up the heat to med high and keep whisking every so often, you want to bring this mixture to a boil and as you do it will thicken in front of your eyes! Just like magic!
once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon go ahead and reduce the heat back to med-low. Stir in your cheese, dry mustard and cayenne
You probably want to taste it at this point and adjust the seasoning...add some salt or maybe more cayenne if you like it spicy. Personally I like a dash of freshly grated nutmeg
Combine your cheese sauce and cooked pasta (it may look a little soupy, but trust me this is how it stays so creamy and good) and spread in your baking dish
Now put your own special touch on the dish...extra grated cheese on top...maybe some freshly made bread crumbs...or the favorite in our house crushed Ritz crackers (I am a really bad person and I toss my crushed up crackers with a tablespoon of melted butter so I get a nice brown crust)
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees until bubbly and brown on top. I usually let it sit 5 or 10 minutes before digging in...I don't know if this actually does anything, but I like to think it helps it "set". Seriously this is SO good! Enjoy!