Stovetop Mac and Cheese

ingredients:
2 cups dry elbow noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. flour
3 tbsp. butter/margarine
2 cups milk
1 tbsp. sour cream
1.5 cups of sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
dash of dry mustard powder
dash of seasoned salt
salt and pepper

hardware:
large nonstick pot
colander
chef's knife
chopping board

procedure:

1. Boil the noodles in salted water (should taste as salty as seawater) with the olive oil for 9-11 minutes, to your preferred doneness. Drain and leave in the colander.
2. Peel the garlic, finely mince it, and then crush it into a paste with the side of your blade.
3. Melt 1 tbsp of the butter/margarine over medium heat in the pot you used for the pasta, then scrape the garlic paste into the pan. Saute the garlic for about a minute.
4. Add the rest of the butter/margarine to the pan and melt, then stir in the flour. Cook until it combines into a paste.
5. Add the milk to the pan gradually, stirring constantly. This forms a roux, the base for almost all of my cheese sauces. It makes the cheese break down evenly into a smooth, uniform product rather than being stiff and stringy.
6. Simmer the milk down until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the sour cream, dash of mustard powder, dash of seasoned salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
7. Add the cheese gradually, stirring constantly.
8. Add the noodles back to the pot and stir to combine. Taste it to determine whether you need additional salt, and add some if so. Heat until it reaches your desired temperature.

comments:
Macaroni and cheese is my absolute favorite food. Any pasta and cheese combination is the most delicious thing to me. I refuse to eat Easy Mac (it's really gross) so anytime I have a craving I just whip this up right quick.

I always like it with mustard powder, and I've seen recipes saying you can substitute the wet mustard from your fridge, but it is just not the same. It tastes like you have mustard in your macaroni, which is okay but not preferable.

I started making my macaroni with seasoned salt after a guy I used to date way back when made it for me that way. Every time I make it for people like that, I get great feedback and requests to make it with seasoned salt again next time. My biggest suggestion is not to use too much, you don't want it to be obvious or overpowering.