bacon and egg mac and cheese

=> picture of it finished

supplies

• 9-by-13 inch baking dish
• slotted spoon
• a pot big enough to cook a pound of noodles
• a separate pot that can fit 8 ounces of bacon, a pound of cheese, and the noodles
• a stove
• a container to temporarily hold 1+1/2 cups of hot noodle water
• an oven that can get up to at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit (not used until step 5)

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and a bit more for buttering the dish
• 1 pound of elbow macaroni
• 8 ounces of bacon
• 3 tablespoons of all purpose flower
• 3 cups of whole milk
• 4 ounces of cream cheese
• 1 pound of shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup of crushed potato chips
• 3 tablespoons of everything seasoning
• some salt
• some ground pepper
• an indeterminant amount of water

1. (initial noodle work)

Lightly butter a 9-by-13 inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente.

Reserve 1+1/2 cups of the noodle water, to be used in steps 3 and 5.

Drain the rest of the noodle water, and set the noodles aside.

2. (making the bacon-cheese sauce)

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large wide pot over medium heat.

Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring until smooth and lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the milk until smooth, then continue cooking, whisking occasionally until steaming, about 3 minutes.

Whisk in the cream cheese until melted and smooth.

Reduce the heat to low and gradually whisk in the cheddar in batches, waiting for the cheese to melt before adding more.

Whisk until smooth.

3. (bringing the bacon and its grease back together again)

Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta.

Fill the now empty pasta pot with 2 to 3 inches of fresh water and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, to be used in step 4.

Stir in the bacon and 3/4 cup of the reserved noodle water and season with salt and pepper.

4. (poaching eggs)

Add the vinegar to the simmering water in the pasta pot; adjust the heat if needed so there are only a few small bubbles.

Crack however many eggs you have the confidence to multitask into the same amount of small cups and tip them into the water.

Poach, gently gathering the egg whites around the yolks with a spoon, until the whites are set but the yolks are very soft, about 3 minutes.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.

Repeat with the remaining eggs.

5. (baking an amalgamation)

Stir the mac and cheese, adding more noodle water if the sauce is too thick.

Transfer the mac and cheese to the prepared baking dish.

Use a spoon to make a well on top for each poached egg, then nestle in the eggs; sprinkle with the everything seasoning.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the edges are bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

Let cool 5 minutes, then top with the potato chips.