Breakfast Mac

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dried elbow pasta
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon
• 2 cups Mac Sauce (see recipe)
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp aged cheddar
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• MAC SAUCE:
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

1. 1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until a little less than al dente. Drain, rinse and drain again.
2. 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. 3. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over high heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove extra grease by patting the strips with a paper towel, then cut into bite-size pieces.
4. 4. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add the sauce and cheese; cook over medium heat, stirring until cheese is barely melted, about 3 minutes. Stir in bacon. Slowly stir in pasta; continue cooking, stirring continuously, until hot, another 5 minutes.
5. 5. Spoon mac and cheese into 4 individual, 5-inch-diameter ovenproof bowls. Sprinkle the panko evenly on top of each bowl. Bake until bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. 6. Meanwhile, fry the eggs: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Crack 2 eggs into pan, cover, and let cook undisturbed 3 to 4 minutes, until whites are completely opaque, and the yolks are still nice and bright. Slide the eggs onto a plate and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of butter and eggs.
7. 7. Remove macs from the oven. Slide a fried egg on top of each. Top with black pepper and serve immediately.
8. MAC SAUCE:
9. 1. In a pot over medium heat, heat the milk until it just starts to bubble, but is not boiling, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
10. 2. In a separate, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter over medium heat until just melted. Add the flour; whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
11. 3. Slowly pour the warm milk, about 1 cup at a time, into the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly. It will get very thick at first, then thin as you add the full 3 cups.
12. 4. Set the pot back over medium-high heat, and continue to whisk constantly. In the next 2 to 3 minutes, the sauce should come together and become silky and thick. Dip a metal spoon into the sauce. If the sauce coats the spoon and doesn’t slide off like milk, you’ll know it’s ready. You should be able to run your finger along the spoon and have the impression remain. Add the salt. Use the sauce immediately, or store it in the fridge for a day or two. (It will thicken in the refrigerator and may need a little more milk to thin it.)