Macaroni and cheese...crock pot style

Like their mother before them, my kids loved macaroni and cheese. Over my dead body were we going to have mac and cheese from a box, complete with powdered cheese (!) product. Yuck! But I also had time issues when they were young that kept me from being really excited about making a white sauce and baking the dish.

So I came up with a crock pot version. You don't get the crusty top that baked mac and cheese lovers covet, but otherwise it's a really good dish. I recommend baking when you've got the time, and crock potting when you don't. Is crock potting a word?

Macaroni and Cheese
1-1/2 lbs macaroni, cooked al dente (about 5-1/2 c dried)
4 T butter
1/2 c flour
Dried mustard, optional
2 c milk
3 to 4 c cheddar cheese, shredded

Boil up the macaroni to the al dente stage. Drain and pour into the crock pot. Add the butter and stir through until melted. Add the flour and still until coated. Sometimes I add some dried mustard now too. Pour the milk over the pasta and mix well. Keep the heat on low and stir occasionally until the milk is absorbed and the cheese is fully melted.