• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Tropical Pina Colada
  • Beef Gravy

Cooking With Curls logo

Home » Main Course » Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese

September 7, 2016 15 Comments

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please visit my disclosure page.

48221shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese is disgustingly delicious and perfectly creepy for Halloween! cookingwithcurls.com

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…..

This Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese is disgustingly delicious and perfect for Halloween | cookingwithcurls.com

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…..

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese paint cookingwithcurls.com

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…..

Macaroni and Cheese roux cookingwithcurls.com

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…..

Macaroni and Cheese milk cookingwithcurls.com

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…..

Macaroni and Cheese melt cookingwithcurls.com

Add the drained spinach, stir to combine…..

Macaroni and Cheese spinach cookingwithcurls.com

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

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese green cookingwithcurls.com

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

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese shells cookingwithcurls.com

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

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese | cookingwithcurls.com

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

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese critter approved | cookingwithcurls.com

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…..

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese liner cookingwithcurls.com

#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…..

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese cauliflower cookingwithcurls.com

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

This Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese is disgustingly delicious and perfect for Halloween | cookingwithcurls.com

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!!

This Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese is disgustingly delicious and perfect for Halloween | cookingwithcurls.com

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese

This Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese is disgustingly delicious and actually quite healthy. It's perfect for Halloween and the kids won't mind eating it!
4.59 from 12 votes
Print
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: halloween, creepy food, party food
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 633kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

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**)

Instructions

  • 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.
  • 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. Add a few drops of green food coloring if desired.
  • Add the drained pasta and stir until completely coated.
  • Stir in the steamed cauliflower, and serve immediately. **I left my cauliflower in large chunks and waited until the very end to add them so they would stay whole, and so they would look creepier sitting near the top.

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.
  • I trimmed the zipper bag 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
  • I chose Medium Shell pasta 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6380IU | Vitamin C: 48.8mg | Calcium: 491mg | Iron: 3mg
Previous Post: « Watermelon Margarita Sorbet
Next Post: Chipotle Ranch Dressing »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Seana Turner says

    September 07, 2016 at 6:05 am

    I just love this kind of stuff. I miss having kids around to make this for – I TOTALLY would have made this for dinner when my girls were here. I tried every year. Maybe I will just have some friends over and go for it anyway… too fun not to. Pinning!

    Reply
    • Lisa Johnson says

      September 10, 2016 at 12:21 pm

      You should make it for your friends Seana, they would get a kick out of it! I wish there was Pinterest when my kids were little, that really would have come in handy. 🙂

      Reply
  2. natalie says

    September 23, 2016 at 1:25 pm

    Do you think I could make the sauce a day ahead of time and then just heat it up and add the pasta? This looks fun!

    Reply
    • Lisa Johnson says

      September 23, 2016 at 10:49 pm

      Hi Natalie, I honestly have no idea. In theory that should work, but I have never tried it before. If it works you will have to come back and let me know!

      Reply
  3. Aireanna says

    October 28, 2016 at 8:04 am

    Out of this world creative, definitely going to make this. Thks for the idea!

    Reply
  4. A.S says

    September 21, 2017 at 10:17 am

    looks disgusting

    Reply
  5. doyle says

    November 13, 2017 at 4:12 pm

    Made this recipe for Halloween this year and it turned out really well. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  6. Geri Leyva says

    October 09, 2018 at 11:18 am

    Well i have to say just adding the rat creeping up to the pot in each picture made me laugh out loud and I am now a fan.

    Reply
  7. Libby says

    November 05, 2019 at 3:37 pm

    ziplock bags aren’t safe for hot foods either. All plastic has VOC and will degas when heated.

    Reply
  8. Jaclyn Resendez says

    November 02, 2020 at 8:43 am

    This was perfect for our Halloween spread! Wish I could post a pic of how it turned out.

    Reply
    • Lisa Johnson says

      November 28, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      I am so happy you liked it Jaclyn!!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Halloween in Quarantine | A Complete Guide to a Spooky Night at Home - Spooky Mama says:
    September 26, 2020 at 8:09 am

    […] Toxic Waste Mac N Cheese […]

    Reply
  2. 75+ Creepy Halloween Food Ideas for Parties which are Spooktacular and So Exciting - Recipe Magik says:
    October 3, 2020 at 1:34 am

    […] Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese by Cooking with Curls […]

    Reply
  3. 50+ Weirdly Wondrous Halloween Recipes You Just Can't Ignore - Recipe Magik says:
    October 5, 2020 at 9:41 am

    […] Toxic Waste Mac n Cheese By Cooking with Curls […]

    Reply
  4. Halloween & COVID: Keeping Your Little Ghouls Safe - Three Good Feels says:
    October 6, 2020 at 8:39 am

    […] the past I’ve made toxic mac and cheese , green “slime” punch, and green spaghetti and “eyeballs” (pictured). […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Visit our sister site

Looking for something?

Footer

Categories

Connect with me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer & Disclosure
Website Accessibility Policy

Copyright © 2012-2021 Cooking with Curls® | All Rights Reserved