Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Only a few months ago I was celebrating the fact that I finally found an awesome, creamy mac and cheese recipe. Yet for some reason, on Sunday I felt inclined to try out yet another macaroni and cheese recipe that I had in my recipe binder. This one comes from Cooking Light and I've had it for so long that I felt it was time to give it a shot. This was okay, but I wish I had stuck with the other recipe. The mac and cheese was creamy, but tasted bland to me. Which was surprising, since it had Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in it - plus I also added some red pepper flakes. The mustard and cream cheese flavors seemed to be the most prominent. While this wasn't bad, I wasn't in love with it either - it was just missing something. It's good to try new things, but I think I'll be sticking with the other mac and cheese from now on!

Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl; toss well.