Breakfast Mac Cheese Food

BREAKFAST MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° and butter a 9"-x-13" baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add hash browns and cook until golden underneath, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
• Wipe skillet clean and return to medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and reserve about 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in skillet.
• Whisk in flour and cook until flour is golden, about 1 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes, then stir in egg yolks one at time.
• Turn off heat and stir in 1 1/2 cup cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella. Cook until cheese has melted then season with salt and cayenne. Stir in cooked macaroni, then transfer to baking dish.
• Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, hash browns and bacon. Bake cheddar on top is bubbling and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Garnish with chives and serve warm.

BREAKFAST MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH SAUSAGE AND HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the onions, 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt to the saucepan and cook until just starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits with the wooden spoon. Add the bell peppers and cook until lightly browned and softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the onion and green bell pepper to the plate with the browned sausage.
• Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the browned meat and vegetables and season with more salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the hash browns with the melted butter and a pinch of salt and scatter over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the hash browns are just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Broil until the hash browns are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes.

BREAKFAST MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some butter.
• In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the ham, onion and bell peppers and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and bring to a low simmer. Add the Cheddar and cream cheese. Turn the heat to low and cook until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat and stir in the macaroni. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan or the microwave and mix with the breadcrumbs in a bowl.
• Use a spoon to create 8 wells in the macaroni mixture to hold the eggs. Crack the eggs one-by-one into a small bowl and pour each one into a well. Sprinkle with the buttered breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 12 minutes. If you like your yolks well done, continue to bake until completely set.