Mac and Cheese Brains (Zombie Food for Your Little Monsters)

I love my kids, I really do. One of them is the best eater in the world. His palate is so mature he doesn’t like cheap white bread and American cheese. Instead he’d rather have a homemade sourdough with sardines and tomatoes.

It’s the other kid that’s the problem eater. He’s not just picky, but unpredictable. One day certain foods will be his favorite and the next day it’ll make him gag (and this is no exaggeration). There is one exception though: Mac and Cheese (and I’m not talking about the boxed stuff) and he never seems to tire from it. 

Luckily Mac and Cheese is one of the few items that is shared on the Ven Diagram of food preferences between my two kids. I don’t know about you, but I get a little tired of making the same thing over and over. 

So when I get a chance to change things up, I’ll take it. We can thank Bill Waterson for today’s inspiration. I recently reread an old Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin devours his mom’s dinner only after she said the rice was actually maggots.

On today’s lunch menu, we’re going to make the kids’ favorite Mac and Cheese. But this time, we’re going to make a couple tweaks and make a Mac and Cheese brain!

Ingredients

The ingredients below will make 2-4 good sized brains depending on the size of the bowl you use. A pound of pasta can be a lot so feel free to cut this recipe in half. 

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I went with a Colby Jack for this but stick with your favorites. Some Mac and Cheese purists love Gruyere or Fontina and complain that cheddar separates. Just pick what you like. We’re making brains not fine dining)
• 1 cup tomato sauce

Directions

1. Cook and drain the pasta (follow the recommended directions on the box). Put the drained pasta back into the pot.

2. Combine the cheese with the hot pasta and mix until the cheese is melted and evenly mixed

3. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap (I was able to fit the pasta into two bowls. They were pretty big servings so either plan for leftovers, or use smaller bowls).

4. Pour the pasta into the bowl. Press the pasta so there aren’t any air pockets. 

5. Flip the bowl over onto a serving dish and remove the bowl and plastic wrap.  

6. Using a large knife, gently cut a small slit in the top of the Mac and Cheese dome. You may need to finesse this a little to get that middle brain channel. 

7. Warm up the tomato sauce (about 30-45 seconds in the microwave should do it). Pour some of the sauce into the gap in the brain. 

Tip: if you like your mac and cheese with a little spice, replace the tomato sauce with Sriracha.

8. Use a basting brush to brush the tomato sauce all over the pasta filling in the cracks with sauce. 

And if you’re looking for more gross/spooky meal ideas, check out Cinnamon Roll Intestines: A Disgustingly Delicious Breakfast.