Name: Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 2 1/2 cups whole milk ((or Half & Half - I used Unsweetened CashewMilk)); 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 Tablespoon dry mustard powder; 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper ((add more if desired)); 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese ((grated)); 1 package frozen spinach ((thawed and drained)); green food coloring; 1 pound dry pasta ((cooked and drained - I used medium shells)); 1 head fresh cauliflower ((cut and steamed**))

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So who is bored with summer temperatures and ready to start decorating for fall…and Halloween? Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It’s dark and creepy {at least at my house} and so different than the other holidays that are right around the corner. I am getting a jump on Halloween this year with the utterly disgusting looking Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese…..

Isn’t that terrifying?? But guess what? It is soooo delicious, your kids will eat up this Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese and ask for more!!

I am going to start with the adventure part of this meal…the toxic waste container. {completely optional} I bought an empty paint can, like this one here, and painted it black with a single coat of flat black spray paint…..

I added the painter’s tape around the upper rim to keep the paint on the outside of the can. Make it as dark as you like, or make it neon orange, whatever works for you. 🙂

I was going to paint a Bio-hazard symbol on the side, but there is a storm coming in and I was loosing daylight!

Okay the recipe it’s self is pretty easy, we’re basically making Homemade Macaroni and Cheese…with some ugly additions.

How to make Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese:

Melt butter in a large pan/Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Simmer, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes…..

This is the part that thickens the sauce.

Pour in the milk and whisk to combine and remove all lumps. Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and mustard, stir to combine…..

Continue cooking until mixture starts to simmer, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the grated cheese. Stir until melted and completely combined…..

Add the drained spinach, stir to combine…..

Nope, not green enough for me…add a few drops of green food coloring if desired…..

Hello Gorgeous!! Add the drained pasta and stir until completely coated…..

Stir in the steamed cauliflower**, and serve immediately…..

It actually turned out a lot brighter than I was expecting/hoping for….but it still looks pretty nasty, so I’m happy with it…and it’s even critter approved, lol

Did you notice that he was inching closer and closer in each image? Sorry, I couldn’t resist, LOL

Notes….lots of notes:

#1 – my paint can came lined with some obnoxious smelling coating that I can pretty much guarantee is not food safe!! {I bought my can at Lowe’s} So I decided to line my can with a large zipper top bag…..

#2 – this is a one gallon can, this is not a one gallon recipe. I added TWO upside down bowls to the bottom of the liner to fill in the space. You could also double or triple the recipe for a party. 😉

#3 – I wanted my cauliflower to sit near the top and look like those foamy bubbles you always see on T.V., so I added them last and barely tossed them to coat with the sauce…..

and it looks like this when it’s done…..

Notes:

I added the chopped parsley out of habit, but it is not necessary.
Even with the two bowls, I wasn’t enough to “overflow” the can but you guys get the idea.
The zipper bag was trimmed so the zipper was no longer visible, it needed to be blog photo worthy. I will be ordering an unlined can before I make this again.
I used Americolor Soft Gel Paste in Leaf Green
Medium Shell pasta was used to make it look bumpy and less like macaroni and cheese. If you use a different shape let me know, I would love to see how it turns out!
I used Vermont sharp white cheddar cheese so it would be easier to turn it green, and it’s still lactose-free.

Some additional green Halloween Party recipes:

Polyjuice Potion Cocktail Punch

Poisoned Apple Cocktail

Monster Mash Popcorn

Salasa Verde Poporn

I may be a bit obsessed with the color green. 😉

Enjoy!!