Macaroni and Cheese is a classic, perfect combination of pasta and cheese. The hollow shape of the macaroni allows the cheese sauce to completely envelop the dish in creamy deliciousness. I have developed a recipe that alters the classic version in such a way that you can start your day with it. After all, it IS the most important meal of the day. So why not make it the most tasty one as well? This macaroni and cheese recipe incorporates the classic breakfast ingredients of bacon, eggs, and a crispy layer of hash browns to top it all off.
Prep Work
A few things need to be done before you start the sauce and pasta.
Begin by finely chopping an onion. A medium to small sized one will do. Then, grate your cheese. A sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese works well but ultimately, the cheese that you use depends entirely on your personal preference. Next, grate the potato. Russets work best here due to their high starch content. Make sure to grate the potato directly into the water and pat it dry thoroughly before adding it to the dish. This will aid in achieving that lovely crunch you are looking for. Boil your eggs in salted water for 7 minutes. Peel both eggs and then chop one to add into the sauce. Reserve the second egg for use as a garnish.
Finally, prepare the bacon by chopping it so that all pieces are all roughly the same size.
Boil the Pasta
Bring a pot of water to boil with a generous pinch of salt. Once boiling, add in the macaroni noodles. Cook the noodles for approximately 3 minutes, or until the pasta is slightly under-cooked. You want your pasta slightly undercooked as it will get more cooking time in the sauce and in the oven. Drain the pasta, making sure to reserve the pasta water. Then, set the noodles aside and move on to the sauce.
The Dish
First, preheat your oven to the Broil setting.
The sauce is the element that carries all of those breakfast flavors and ties the whole dish together.
Start by adding your bacon to a room temperature pan before turning the heat on. This helps the fat to render and yield the most amount of flavor. Once crispy, add in the onions and cook until the onions are translucent (see-through).
Next, add in the butter and flour (in that order) and mix well. SLOWLY add in the milk while constantly mixing to ensure that no lumps form. Once this is done, it’s time to stir in your grated cheese and chopped egg. Mix once again and then flavor the sauce with paprika, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, loosen the sauce up a bit with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
Add in boiled pasta and give it one final mix before transferring the mixture to an oven safe dish and topping it off with your shredded potatoes (hash browns). Broil in the oven for approximately 5 minutes until the cheese bubbles and the top of the hash browns have turned golden brown.
Top the dish with a few pieces of bacon (completely optional) and with the other boiled egg, sliced in half. Serve and enjoy!
Breakfast Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 160 grams Macaroni Noodles
- 0.5 Ounces Flour
- 0.5 Ounces Butter
- 1 Cup Milk
- 3 Ounces Cheese Grated
- To Taste Salt and Pepper
- 2 Whole Eggs Hard Boiled
- 100 grams Bacon Finely Chopped
- 70 grams Potato Grated
- 1 Whole Onion Finely Chopped
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika Powder
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water and drain. Reserve the pasta water.
- Boil the eggs for 7minutes. Peel and chop one of the eggs and save the other for garnish.
- Sauté the bacon until crispy. Add in the grated onions and sauté until translucent.
- To this, add the butter and flour and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in the milk, mixing constantly to avoid any flour from lumping up.
- Once all of the milk is added in, add in the grated cheese and chopped boiled egg. Mix well. Loosen this mixture with a splash of the pasta water in order to reach the desired consistency.
- To this mixture, add in the nutmeg, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce and mix well.
- Pour the pasta and sauce mixture into an oven safe dish and top with grated potatoes.
- Broil for 5 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and the cheese sauce is bubbling.
- Top the dish with the remaining boiled egg and a few pieces of crispy bacon. (optional)
Notes
FAQs
- Does this have to be eaten only as a breakfast dish?
Absolutely not. The richness of the ingredients allow this dish to be consumed at any point, day or night.
- Why not add the bacon to searing hot pan and cook it faster?
This can be done too, but it won’t yield as much bacon fat. Bacon fat contributes a lot to the flavor of the sauce.
- How do you fix a lumpy sauce?
Run the sauce through a sieve. Add the sieved contents back into an empty pan and mix on medium heat. SLOWLY and GRADUALLY add in the sieved liquid and your sauce should end up nice and smooth.
- Is the garnish optional?
Of course. If you wish, both eggs can be chopped into the sauce. Garnish is always optional.
Tips to Improve or Alter the Recipe
- The bacon can be replaced with breakfast sausage or any other kind of cured meat such as ham.
- Add little pops of color by chopping red or green peppers into the sauce. Sautéed mushrooms would also make a good addition.
- A sprinkle of bread crumbs on top of the hash brown layer will provide you with an extra crunch as well.
Tips for Storage
In the very unlikely event that you do have leftovers, just pop them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Simply reheat the dish in the microwave with a splash of milk mixed in. Leftovers will keep for about 2-3 days in the fridge. Do not put the leftovers in the freezer. The cheese sauce will break and the results will be inedible.
Final Words
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time in between, this dish is perfect to satisfy any hunger. Give it a go and enjoy!
As always thanks for reading and be sure to keep your kitchen Hot and Salty.
