Breakfast Mac & Cheese w/ Sausage & Hash Browns (Kristin)

By á-47

Made a roaster pan full. Cut in half

Ingredients

• 1 # (1/2#) elbow macaroni
• 1 T. veg. oil
• 1 # (1/2#) breakfast sausage
• 1 large (1 Med) onion, chopped
• 2 (1) small green pepper, chopped
• 2 1/2 cup (1 1/4C) half-and-half
• 1/8 - 1/4 tea. cayenne
• 2 8 oz. pkgs (1 pkg) cream cheese
• 8 oz (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar (about 3 (1 12/2) cups)
• 3 oz (1 1/2 oz) shredded Gruyere (about 1 (1/2) cup)
• 1/2 cup frozen shredded hals browns, thawed (Simply Potatoes)
• 4 (2) Tbs. melted butter

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425, set rack 6" from heat source. Cool macaroni until al dente, about 6 mins. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of pasta water. Set aside

Heat oil, saute sausage until browned, breaking up, about 5 mins. Transfer to plate with slotted spoon. Saute onion, 1 Tbsp. water and a pinch of salt, cook until softened, scraping up any brown bits with wooden spoon. Add bell pepper and cool until soft.

Carefully wipe out pan. Add half-n-half and cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in Cheddar and Gruyere until all cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

Add macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta with suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes). Gently fold in the meat and veggies and season with more salt if needed. Pour into a 9x13 dish.

Toss the has browned with the butter and pinch of salt. Scatter over the macaroni. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the hash browns just start to brown, about 10 minutes. Broil until the has browns are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes.