Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Difficulty level: Low

Effort required: Medium

Price point: Low

Good for: munchies, comfort, carb-loading, lazy Saturdays

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked pasta shells
• 2 ¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided
• 2 ¼ cups milk
• ¼ cup flour
• 5 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
• ½ tablespoon garlic or regular salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• ½ cup cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
• ½ tablespoon mustard (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500° F and lightly grease a glass baking dish.
2. Cook the pasta shells in boiling water according to package directions or for approximately 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. In that same pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add in the flour and stir until smooth.
4. Gradually stir in the milk. Once added, turn the heat up to medium and cook until thickened. Add in the mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add in 2 cups of the cheddar and stir until nice and melty. Remove from heat.
6. Pour the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta.
7. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon evenly on top of the casserole and sprinkle the reserved ¾ cup cheddar on top of that.
8. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and add it to the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat, and sprinkle the crumbs on top of the casserole.
9. Bake the casserole for 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Serve and enjoy.