Basic Béchamel

There is nothing like comfort food after a no-good-very-bad day. To make my mac 'n cheese, I started with a quick béchamel sauce: melt 2 T. butter over medium heat and whisk in 2 T. flour. After cooking the flour-butter mixture (stirring constantly) for 2 minutes, add 1 C. of milk and stir until thick, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in about 1/2 C. of very, very, very sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, 1 tsp. of Dijon mustard, and a 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg. To finish, pour the gooey mass on top over 1/2 lb. of cooked pasta. And there you have it: French sauce + American cheese = trans-continental comfort food.