Mac and cheese with sausage and fried potatoes for breakfast

Ingredients:

• 450 g of pasta horns
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 450 g uncooked pork breakfast sausages, casings removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 small green bell peppers, chopped
• 2.5 cups of low-fat cream 10%
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or less
• 450 g of cream cheese at room temperature
• 220 g sharp cheddar, grated (about 3 cups)
• 80 g Gruyere, grated (about 1 cup)
• 1.5 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 60 g unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Position the rack approximately 15 cm from the oven heating element and preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the cooking water. Set the pasta aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a plate. Add the onion, 1 tablespoon of water, and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the bell pepper and cook until golden brown and softened, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the onions and peppers to the plate with the meat.
5. Wipe the pan thoroughly (or give it a quick rinse if it's very dirty). Add the cream and cayenne pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the cream has reduced to 1.5 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in the cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
6. Add the pasta and cooking water and stir to distribute evenly. The sauce will look very thin, but the pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid as it bakes. Gently stir in the browned meat and vegetables, and season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
7. Transfer everything to a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the grated potatoes with melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the topping is golden and crisp, about 3 minutes.