Mac and Cheese made easily

I really love mac and cheese but never have been a person who ate the kind out of the box. Who needs to anyways when you have a recipe like this which is just as easy and really quick! The great thing about mac and cheese is as soon as you learn the technique you can really be creative and add your own twists. I added a boneless ham steak to this recipe cut into cubes so it would have a protein in it. You can use pepper jack cheese instead and mix in a can of green chilies to put a mexican twist on it! You could substitute swiss cheese and mix in ham and chicken for a chicken cordon bleu mac and cheese. Use your imagination and see what twists you can come up with!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 6 ounces light processed cheese (such as Velvetta light), cubed
• 6 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook until thick (about 8-10 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in 2/3 cup cheddar cheese and processed cheese, and cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in macaroni and salt.
3. Spoon into a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Enjoy!!!