CREAMY BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

1. 4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2. 1 onion - chopped
3. ¾ cup butter
4. 6 tbsp all purpose flour
5. 4.5 cups of milk (I use skim)
6. 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
7. 1 tsp ground mustard
8. 1.5 tsp salt
9. ¼ tsp pepper (I usually add more because we are big pepper people)
10. ¾ cup of Italian bread crumbs
11. **Bacon, pancetta, green onions, chicken, etc all make good additions! The picture below shows bacon.**
12. Preheat over to 350
13. Cook pasta per directions and drain the water
14. In a stock pot, saute the onion with ½ cup of butter
15. Add the flour and whisk until blended (make sure the butter hasn't completely evaporated)
16. Gradually add the milk while still stirring
17. Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue stirring to avoid any burning. The mixture should thicken slightly.
18. Stir in the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. I usually pour the first half of the cheese, stir well, and then pour the rest.
19. Add the cooked/drained pasta into the sauce and stir well until all the pasta is coated
20. Transfer the pasta into a greased 9x13 baking dish
21. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the dish. If desired, you could toss the breadcrumbs with some butter before adding to the top.
22. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.