Baked Macaroni with cheddar

For the Meat Sauce: 3 tbsp butter 1 lb ground beef 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (canned) 1 small onions , diced 1/2 cup green bell pepper , diced 1/2 cup tomato[...]

1/2 cup unsalted butter 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 lb elbow macaroni 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ground black[...]

salt (to taste) 2 1/2 cups milk (low-fat is fine) 2 bay leaves 1/2 lb pasta (elbow, shell, ziti, or other cut, I like rotini) 4 tablespoons butter 3[...]