This delicious meal can be served anytime of the day, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's made with mac and cheese, of course, Canadian bacon, English muffins and spinach. Yum yum.
1 T. plus 1 t. kosher salt, plus more as needed
8 oz. mini farfalle pasta (or small elbow macaroni)
3 English muffins, split in half
5 T. salted butter, at room temperature
2 T. all-purpose flour
1½ c. milk
1½ c. plus 3 T. heavy cream, divided
12 oz. Fontina cheese, coarsely grated (4 c.)
½ t. mustard powder
¼ t. cayenne pepper
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, water squeezed out
6 slices Canadian bacon
6 large eggs, at room temperature
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter six 8 oz. ramekins; set aside.
Fill a 4 to 5 qt. pot about three-quarters full of water; add 1 T. salt; bring to a boil; add pasta. Cook, stirring once or twice, until tender but firm, about 4 minutes; drain. Reserve the pot.
Place English muffins cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet; spread with 2 T. butter. Toast in the oven until light brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; transfer muffins to a plate. Reserve the baking sheet.
Using the same pot used for the pasta, melt remaining 3 T. butter over medium heat until browned, being careful not to burn it. Slowly whisk in the flour; stir constantly until a paste forms, 30 - 45 seconds; continue stirring for about 2 more minutes, until mixture starts to darken slightly and smell a bit nutty.
Slowly whisk in milk, 1½ c. cream and remaining 1 t. salt; cook until mixture starts to thicken, is just beginning to bubble around the edges, 5-7 minutes and is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the cheese, mustard powder and cayenne; stir until cheese is melted, sauce is smooth and not runny, but similar in texture to cake batter. If it’s soupy, continue cooking until it thickens.
Add pasta and spinach; stir to combine. Fill ramekins with the mixture to within 1 inch of the rim. Place on the reserved baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Top each with an English muffin, cut side up; place on a slice of Canadian bacon. Break 1 egg into a small bowl or shallow baking dish; carefully pour the egg on top of the bacon. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Drizzle each ramekin with about 1 t. cream; sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the egg white has turned solid white. Let cool for 10 minutes; sprinkle each with a few drops of lemon juice just before serving.
Tip: To make this in a baking dish, butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Use the same quantity of ingredients as specified. Proceed as directed.
Makes 6.