I have a big family and I also hate grainy melted cheese... so this recipe reflects that. If you want to scale I have found that a rough ratio of 1tbsp of butter, 1tbsp of flour, 1 cup of milk, and 3 slices of american cheese has worked up and down so far for me. Also the salt and pepper and cayenne vary a bit depending on the batch.
5 tbsp of butter
5 tbsp of flour
5 cups of milk
15 slices of american cheese
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 (sometimes 2.5) 16oz boxes of small shell noodles
2 lb of bacon
Instructions
1. Cook up 2 lb of bacon ahead of time using you preferred method. I like cooking it on a sheet pan in the oven. Cook until crispy. Cut/crunch into little pieces
2. Boil 7-8 quarts of salted water in a pot on high
3. While it boils, put the butter and flower into a sauce pan on medium to medium low. Whisk until mixed and slightly brown.
4. Add milk, preheated if possible.
5. Add shredded cheddar cheese
6. Once the cheddar cheese has started to melt, add american cheese. (I rip into pieces because I feel like it will melt faster)
7. Once everything is melted, add the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, stir regularly.
8. At some point during the sauce making, the water should have come to a boil. Add the boxes of small shell noodles at this point, and cook to your preferred point... I cook until they are soft.
9. Pour noodles into a strainer and then back into the pot. Pour the cheese sauce into the pot of noodles and stir well. The sauce may still be a little thin at this point. As it cools it will thicken.
10. Add the bacon pieces and stir.
11. Serve and enjoy :)
