Late reply but I came back here and read through comments again...
I'm non-USian (though I live here currently) and, lacking packaged M&C mixes, I used to make it from scratch. Basically I'd make a roux with a knob of butter and a bit of flour, add milk slowly til I got a white sauce, then add grated cheese. This would take about as long as it took macaroni/elbow noodles to cook. Then I'd strain the noodles and mix them with the cheese. I don't know quite what your spoon limit is, but I offer it just as an option if you don't have the packaged kind.
Related: I like mixing cauliflower with cheese sauce, topping with breadcrumbs and cheese, and baking it in the oven. If I'm feeling lazy *and* healthy simultaneously, I skip the cheese sauce and just bake cauliflower with breadcrumbs and cheese. Or just cheese. It's especially good with parmesan, and honestly, I can make a meal of it. Takes 5 mins to set up, then ignore it in the oven for a 45 mins, then take it out and eat.
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I'm non-USian (though I live here currently) and, lacking packaged M&C mixes, I used to make it from scratch. Basically I'd make a roux with a knob of butter and a bit of flour, add milk slowly til I got a white sauce, then add grated cheese. This would take about as long as it took macaroni/elbow noodles to cook. Then I'd strain the noodles and mix them with the cheese. I don't know quite what your spoon limit is, but I offer it just as an option if you don't have the packaged kind.
Related: I like mixing cauliflower with cheese sauce, topping with breadcrumbs and cheese, and baking it in the oven. If I'm feeling lazy *and* healthy simultaneously, I skip the cheese sauce and just bake cauliflower with breadcrumbs and cheese. Or just cheese. It's especially good with parmesan, and honestly, I can make a meal of it. Takes 5 mins to set up, then ignore it in the oven for a 45 mins, then take it out and eat.