I recently read (or completely made up in my head) that Americans spend just as much time cooking pre-prepared foods as they do when starting from scratch, so I decided to put time to the test when making Macaroni and Cheese on my daily half hour lunch break.  Results?  More delicious, slightly more timely, but making enough for leftovers certainly helped with the time crunch for the next few days!

Recipe:

12 oz rotini pasta (not homemade, I used Barilla)
2 teaspoons flour
3 tablesppons butter
2/3 cup milk
8oz extra sharp cheddar cheese (also not homemade, I bought it at the farmers market)
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
breadcrumbs (optional)

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions.

In another pot melt butter, flour, and milk in the pot over low heat. Once combined, slowly melt in small pieces or shreds of cheese. As small bubbles start forming, stir in seasonings.  Drain and rinse pasta, reserving some of the cooking water to use in cheese sauce, if necessary.  Mix pasta and cheese sauce together. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, if desired, and dig in.