Description
Monster Mac and Cheese is a spooky, kid-friendly twist on a creamy classic that turns Halloween dinner into a scream-worthy, delicious dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 2 tbsp butter or vegan butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk or unsweetened plant milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or vegan cheddar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Green food coloring (optional, for a monster hue)
- Black olives (sliced into “spider” shapes)
- Candy eyeballs or sliced mozzarella + black olive pieces (for eyes)
- Fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened, about 3–4 minutes.
- Stir in shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add food coloring if desired.
- Add cooked macaroni to the sauce and stir until well coated.
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with olive “spiders” (use halved olives for bodies and slivered strips for legs).
- Add candy eyes or mozzarella circles with olive slices for a monster face look.
- Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Can be made with vegan cheese and plant-based milk for a vegan version.
- Use black olives cut into spider shapes to decorate for a Halloween touch.
- Adjust garlic powder and salt to taste; you can reduce salt when using salted cheese.
- Green food coloring is optional to give the dish a monster hue.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
Keywords: Monster Mac and Cheese, spooky mac and cheese, Halloween dinner, monster eyes, black spider olives, kid-friendly pasta