Mermaid Macaroni and Cheese - Best Mermaid Party Food Ideas!

Mermaid Mac and Cheese

Blue Macaroni & Cheese Beach Bowls make the perfect Mermaid Party Food idea!

I’ve never met a human or mermaid who doesn’t like mac and cheese! This crowd pleaser is so easy to prepare and bake, and it serves plenty- making it a perfect party dish! But if you’re anything like me, you want your party food to match your party theme. If you’re throwing a mermaid theme birthday, now you’re in luck!! Introducing the Mermaid Mac and Cheese beach bowl! Swirly blue pasta oozing with bright blue cheese makes up the “ocean” while a golden brown panko crumb topping serves as the “sandy beach shore.” Kids will love eating blue mac and cheese and parents will appreciate the homemade macaroni and cheese taste- making this the ultimate mermaid party food!

Tips for Making perfect Mermaid Mac and Cheese

  • The Mac: You can use regular elbow macaroni if you like- but I prefer to pick up some unique swirl shaped pasta to make the dish more magical!
  • The Cheese: You can use any mac and cheese recipe you already have, however I recommend opting for white or light colored cheeses. Yellow cheese may tint your blue food dye, leaving you with a sea of green!
  • The Food Coloring: I recommend using neon blue food dye to get that bright ocean blue color. I think the color works better for a mermaid party than the standard dark blue food dye, but the choice is up to you!
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Watch this video tutorial on How to make Mermaid Mac and Cheese!

If you’re making a mermaid party ideas playlist on YouTube, here is my mermaid macaroni and cheese video tutorial.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked macaroni
  • 5-10 drops neon blue food dye
  • ¼ cup salted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups milk, or more as needed
  • 2 cups shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Gruyere
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste (Optional)

Directions

Step 1. Precook your Pasta & Prep your Oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Precook your pasta just shy of al dente according to the package. The macaroni should be tender yet firm to the bite, generally about 8 minutes. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven later. Strain and cool.

Blue food coloring is applied to pasta in a plastic bag to make mermaid macaroni and cheese

Step 2. Color the pasta with neon blue food dye.

Add a couple drops of neon blue food dye to a sealable bag, followed by a few tablespoons of water to dilute the dye. Toss in your pre-cooked pasta, then seal and shake until the noodles are evenly coated in color. Set aside!

Blue cheese - mermaid party food

Step 3: Create cheese sauce and color it blue!

Simmer butter on the stove over low heat. Whisk in flour and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and turns a light golden brown color, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in 2 1/2 cups milk and heavy cream until smooth, and bring back to a simmer. Stir in your shredded cheese, 2 cups at a time & continue whisking. Add salt, pepper, & food coloring to the cheese sauce then mix it up well! Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more milk if needed. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir until well combined.

Blue mermaid macaroni and cheese recipe | Best Mermaid Party Food Ideas

Step 4: Combine macaroni and cheese sauce.

Combine your pasta and cheese until well-coated, then pour into a prepared baking dish.

Mermaid Mac and Cheese | Best Mermaid Party Food Ideas

Step 5: Create Panko Topping and Bake!

In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of your mac and cheese, then bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow mac & cheese to cool slightly, before serving!

MER-MAKE  this mermaid party food yourself!

Did you try making this mermaid macaroni and cheese party dish? I’d love to see it!
Post a photo on social media & tag me so I can find it!

I hope you enjoyed this simple recipe that can make a big splash at your next mermaid party! If you make mermaid mac & cheese, let me know how it comes out, or if you do anything differently. What party dish would you like to see transformed next? Leave me a comment!

P.S. If you thought the mermaid macaroni & cheese was a great idea, then you dolphin-ately want to check out tons of other great mermaid party food ideas on my blog here!

And since you’re throwing a mermaid party anyway, you don’t want to skip this list of 15 mermaid party activities for a fintastic birthday shellabration.