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–+ servings

Zombie Mac and Cheese

Fun and Festive Halloween party food!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 464 kcal

Equipment

  • 6 quart pot
  • colander
  • whisk
  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb elbow pasta
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 12 ounces *white* monterey jack cheese, grated *You can use other white cheese that you prefer- colby cheese, white cheddar, american or a combination of any of these. You want a white cheese to have the green of the spinach come through.
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach or 4 large handfuls rinsed thoroughly and spin dried
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • mozzarella balls (cherry sized bocconcini) for garnish- white part of "eyeballs"
  • small black olives or green olives stuffed with pimentos for garnish - iris part of "eyeballs"
  • hot sauce (optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a 6 quart pot, boil water for pasta and add 1 tbsp of salt. Make elbow pasta according to box directions. Drain and set aside.
  • While the water is coming to a boil, grate your cheese(s) on a box grater and set aside.
  • In a blender, add the spinach leaves and milk. Blend until all the spinach leaves are completely smooth. Set aside.
    spinach and milk in a blender
  • To make the cheese sauce, start by making a roux: In the same pot you made the pasta, over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter.
    Melting butter in a pot
  • When the butter is melted and foaming, add the 2 tbsp flour. Stir the flour until it's completely incorporated into the butter. Continue stirring for approximately 1 minute.
    Adding flour to pot to make a roux
  • The roux will have a slightly nutty smell when you're supposed to add the milk. Don't brown the roux.
    Making a roux in a pot
  • Carefully, slowly add the spinach/milk mixture while continuously whisking the roux/milk mixture.
    Adding spinach milk mixture to roux
  • Let the sauce thicken up and start to bubble stirring often.
  • Add the cheeses (monterey jack and parmesan) and mix in to thoroughly melt and incorporate. The cheese sauce should be thick, creamy and vivid green. Taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
    Adding cheese to spinach bechamel sauce
  • Add the drained elbow pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine thoroughly.
    Adding elbow pasta to spinach cheese sauce
  • Pour the pasta into a serving bowl.
  • To make the "eyeballs": slice up either black or green olives and place the slices of olives over the mozzarella balls. Nestle the eyeballs into the green mac and cheese.
    Making "eyeballs" from mozzarella balls and black olives
  • Serve with hot sauce (optional).
  • Looks gross but tastes delicious. Happy Halloween!!
    bowl of zombie mac and cheese with mozzarella eyeballs

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 405mgPotassium: 374mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2549IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 472mgIron: 2mg
Keyword cheese, Mac and Cheese, pasta, spinach, vegetarian
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