Homemade Mac n Cheese for kids

If Liam ever had a favorite junk food it would be good ol' Mac n Cheese(mine too). I always feel guilty feeding it to him because to me EZ Mac is on the same level as Ramen Noodle. Processed, fake and full of sodium. Well rather than denying It to him, I started making it from home after seeing a recipe for broccoli Mac n cheese on CandidMommy's Youtube channel. I've made it several times since then and to Liam it's the same whether I make it or if it come in a box. Today Liam requested it so I wanted to share my recipe. I didn't have broccoli so I just made it plain

Ingredients

1 pound pasta, any shape
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2-3 cups shredded or slices of cheese, like cheddar, monterey jack, or colby
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional extras (cook before adding): Ham, turkey bacon, onions, peas, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower

Equipment

Pasta pot
Sauce pan
Whisk
Spatula

Instructions
1. Boil the Pasta: Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat in the pasta pot. Add the pasta and a tablespoon of salt. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Warm the Milk: When the pasta has finished cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. Begin warming 1 cup of the milk in the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and the flour until there are no lumps. When you just start to see tendrils of steam rising from the warming milk, whisk in the milk-and-flour mixture. Continue whisking gently until the milk thickens slightly to the consistency of heavy cream, 3-4 minutes.

3. Make the Cheese Sauce: Turn the heat to low and begin mixing handfuls of cheese into the milk. Stir in the salt and mustard. Stir until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Remove the sauce from heat.

4. Combine the Pasta and Cheese Sauce: In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Stir to coat the pasta evenly. Add the second half of the sauce and any extra add-ins.