This is a fun and festive take on macaroni and cheese using spinach to color the cheese sauce.
You can’t even taste the spinach so it’s a great, fun way to get your family to eat their greens!
I used bocconcini (mozzarella balls) and black olives to mimic eyeballs. Green olives stuffed with pimento work great as well.
It looks super gross but tastes super good! Even I was dubious at first but surprised at how good it tastes!
Enjoy your Halloween!!
Zombie Mac and Cheese
Fun and Festive Halloween party food!
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The roux will have a slightly nutty smell when you're supposed to add the milk. Don't brown the roux.
- Carefully, slowly add the spinach/milk mixture while continuously whisking the roux/milk mixture.
- 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.
- Add the drained elbow pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine thoroughly.
- 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.
- Serve with hot sauce (optional).
- Looks gross but tastes delicious. Happy Halloween!!
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
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
