Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook macaroni for about 9 minutes. It will still be very al dente, but will finish cooking in the oven later.

In large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour little by little and stir constantly, until flour has dissolved. Add evaporated milk. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes.

Add salt and pepper. If you are using fresh onion and garlic, add that. If not, add onion powder and garlic powder. Add mustard and stir to fully combine.

Add cheese. Stir slowly until cheese is fully melted. Continue stirring slowly and constantly for another 3–4 minutes, until cheese sauce has a rich consistency. You don’t want a watery sauce, or it won’t bake properly. The sauce should be thick enough that it stays on the back of a spoon.

Drain macaroni, and add to cheese sauce. Mix completely.

Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Add macaroni and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with corn flake crumbs. If desired, top with a few small pats of butter.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until sauce is set. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!