Anti-Diet Mac and Cheese Buffalo Style

Macaroni + old cheddar cheese + maple bacon + garlic + Frank's Hot Sauce = bliss! On each serving, I also added a few extra shakes of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and a handful of chives, amazing! This would also be delicious with a chicken breast or two, cubed and tossed in. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbsp mustard (I used grainy mustard)
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
about 6 cups of uncooked pasta (I used a mix of penne and fusilli because it's what I had on hand. You'll notice that I do that a lot - use whatever is in my kitchen.)
4-6 cups grated cheese (I used 4 cups of old cheddar because it is all I had, but a mix is also delicious)
6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup panko or bread crumbs (optional, just gives the top a bit of a crunch)
cilantro or chives to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F and coat a 9' x 9' baking pan with cooking spray.

Boil pasta in a large pot, with salted water for about 8-10 minutes, or until desired consistency. Make sure the water is already boiling when you add the pasta. I often take a piece out to sample. Remove pasta from element, drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once it is bubbling and has turned a golden colour, add flour. Stir rapidly until a paste is formed and is golden brown, then add milk, garlic powder, Frank's and Tabasco sauces and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally, until thickened.

Stir in 3 cups of cheese, until combined. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked pasta and bacon to sauce, stirring to coat each piece with the cheese sauce. Pour pasta into prepared dish and top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Cook for 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. I topped mine with chives, which was awesome!