Macaroni and Cheese

 This is the most delicious mac and cheese recipe I have ever come across. I added a few things of my own to the recipe (like panko bread crumbs... and bacon.)

Ingredients:
For the cheese sauce:
14 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (I used Kraft medium cheddar)
2 oz. shredded jack cheese (I used Tillamook)
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. course salt
1/4 tsp. chile powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

For the mac and cheese:
Butter/vegetable oil/cooking oil for cooking pan
1 box penne
1 oz. cheddar cheese
1 oz. Gruyere cheese (I found and applewood smoked cheese that smells like bacon and I would not use another type of Gruyere cheese now)
Bacon (optional)
Panko bread crumbs (optional)

Instructions for cheese sauce:
1. Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for about 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened. This should take about 10 minutes. Add jack and cheddar cheese, chile powder, garlic powder and salt. Stir until cheese has melted and remove from heat.

Instructions for mac and cheese:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking dish and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions but for 2 minutes less (al dente) Rinse pasta in cold water and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix cheese sauce and pasta until well incorporated.
4. Pour pasta in prepared baking dish and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Next, chop up the bacon into small-ish pieces and put the bacon over the top, followed by the bread crumbs, and then the gruyere cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Done! Let cool and enjoy!