For all of you macaroni and cheese fans out there, here is the real thing! Instead of just sprinkling some bright orange powder from a package into hot macaroni and mixing it in, here you make a genuine cheese sauce from scratch, just like a real chef. Then you mix it with cooked macaroni (which an adult shoow cook and drain for you ahead of time), sprinkle extra cheese on top, and bake it in the oven until it is bubbly. You will love this!

Don't be afraid of the dry mustard in the recipe. Even if you don't like the kind of mustard that some people like to put on sandwiches and hot dogs, you'll find that this mustard is not too spicy. It just gives the cheese an extra flavor boost, and the whole thing will taste really good because of it. (A couple of the kids said, "Eeuuu--mustard!" when we tested the recipe, but they loved the result.)

The cheese sauce in this recipe can also be made on its own, without the pasta. Make it for dinner some night to put on whatever vegetables your parents are cooking. It's especially good on asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes.

NOTE: Give yourself extra time during the set-up to grate the cheddar cheese. If you want, you can ask an adult to help you grate it in the food processor, but doing it by hand is really fund, and you will feel very accomplished. Watch your knuckles!

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

• Handheld grater or food processor fitted with the grating attachment for grating the cheese ahead of time
• Large pot and a colander for cooking and draining the pasta
• Gratin pan or baking dish (2-quart size)
• Paper towl or waxed paper for buttering the pan
• 2-cup liquid measure
• Medium-sized pot or a bgowl for heating the milk
• Dinner knife for cutting the butter
• Medium-sized suacepan
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Whisk
• Long-handled wooden spoon
• Rubber spatula
• Timer with a bell
• Plates and forks

from Pretend Soup