Vegetable mac 'n cheese with an egg on top

So why is this so popular and comforting? Two words: pasta and cheese. It's simplicity is it's virtue. If you bake it in the oven it provides some chewy pasta edges and a crispy cheesy topping with a few pieces of escapee molten cheese caramelised and browned. Inside it is creamy and satisfyingly 'meaty' with that mouth feel only pasta can provide. Need I say more? 

It's fine to add a few bits and pieces that you fancy at home, quite often cooks peering inside the fridge to see what needs using up. Bacon, mushrooms and vegetables are all game and possibly turn a snack into a more substantial dinner. The egg on this version provides an interesting addition and a little protein if the man 'n cheese lover is a vegetarian.

Recipe : Mac 'n cheese with vegetables and an egg on top

(This is a cheats version as I use a pack of Hollandaise mixed with cheese as the sauce to bind everything together).

1 cup of macaroni

1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp butter

1 bell pepper, seeded and finely sliced

1/2 onion, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 stick celery, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced

a handful of kale, finely shredded

4 mushrooms, sliced

1 pack of Hollandaise sauce

1 cup of grated cheese such as Cheddar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

paprika

Preheat the oven to 375oF

Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted boiling water until just cooked with a little bite (al dente). Drain well and lay in the bottom of a baking dish.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, celery and kale until softened and wilted. Season, reduce heat to very low and let the vegetables gently sweat a little longer.

Prepare the Hollandaise as per package instructions. The brand I use, (McCormick) suggests melting 1/2 cup of butter in a pan before adding 1 cup of water and the contents of the packet whilst off the heat. Stir well and let simmer gently until the sauce is thickened and smooth then remove from the heat. 

Mix the cooked vegetables into the sauce and then pour over the pasta. Stir well to combine and then crack the eggs on top. (You can make two impressions in the mixture with a spoon to 'house' the eggs and stop them spilling everywhere). 

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and dust with a little paprika for colour.

Bake until the Hollandaise sauce is bubbling, the cheese is golden brown and the eggs are cooked to your liking, you can poke the yolks gently with a knife to test doneness.