Prep time: 45 min Cook time: 1 hr Rest time: 15 mins Total time: 2 hrs
Macronutrients per batch: 136g fat | 188g protein | 0g carbohydrates
Makes: 2-3 servings
This Carnivore Mac and Cheese is creamy, decadent, topped with crispy raw cheese-pork rind breadcrumbs, and garnished with (optional) chives.
Note: This recipe was inspired by Carnivorous Chef! I changed some things around, but his Carnivore Mac and Cheese recipe gave me a foundation to build this one from. Check him out – he has tons of great (and beautifully presented) recipes.
What you need to make Carnivore Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
For the “breadcrumbs”:
- Pork rinds
- Raw cheese (ASHLEY20 for 20% off)
For the “mac”:
- Eggs (ASHLEY20 for 20% off)
- Raw ground chicken
- Grass-fed ghee (or butter) (for pan-frying)
Cheese sauce:
- Cheese
- Milk or cream
- Lemon (optional, but recommended)
- Yellow mustard (optional, but recommended)
- Sea salt (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
Garnish:
- Chives (optional)
Equipment:
- Blender or food processor
- Cooking pan
- Cooking pot
- Vegetable grater
- Freezer bags (or a large plastic bag)
- Kitchen shears
- 8″ cast iron pan for baking (or other baking dish)
How to make Carnivore Mac and Cheese
Make the “breadcrumbs”.
In your blender, blend the pork rinds down to a fine powder, then set the powder aside in a bowl.
Cut 1/4 (2oz) off your 8oz block of raw cheese.
In the same bowl with the pork rind powder, with your vegetable grater, finely shred the 2oz block of raw cheese.
Mix the pork rind powder and shredded raw cheese around with your hands to get it to a uniform consistency, then set the mixture aside.
Make the “mac”.
In your blender, combine two eggs, the raw ground chicken, and a dash of sea salt until it forms a paste.
Pour the paste into your freezer bag (or large plastic bag) and zip it shut while removing the air and pushing the mixture down to one corner.
Note: Act as if you’re creating a tool to ice a cake. There are pictures under the “Tips to make the best…” section to demonstrate this for reference.
Place 1-2 tbsp of ghee in your cooking pan, and bring to medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, cut one of the corners of the plastic bag with your kitchen shears, creating a hole to squeeze out the mixture.
Squeeze out nuggets of the chicken-egg mixture into the hot pan, and pan-fry them until golden brown. I did 1-2 minutes on each side, then kept flipping them until they turned the color I wanted.
Note: There are pictures under the “Tips to make the best…” section to demonstrate this step for reference.
You may have to add more ghee to the pan if it runs out before you’re done pan-frying. Once the pieces are all done frying, place them in your 8″ cast iron pan (or whatever baking dish you’re using) and set it aside.
Make the cheese sauce.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Pour the milk (or cream) into your cooking pot, and bring it to a boil while stirring.
Once the milk is boiling, slowly stir in the remaining (6oz) raw cheese.
Add the mustard, lemon juice, and a dash of sea salt to the sauce while still stirring.
Once it’s fully mixed, remove the sauce from heat.
Prepare the dish.
Pour the cheese sauce over the mac. It may be watery. This is normal and it will thicken while baking.
Note: There are pictures under the “Tips to make the best…” section to demonstrate what this looks like for reference.
Top the Mac and Cheese with a thick layer of your breadcrumb mixture.
Bake the dish.
Place the Mac and Cheese in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Broil the dish.
Near the end of the 10 minutes, set your oven to broil and watch it closely. Broil for 30-60 seconds, or until the breadcrumbs start to crisp up and brown. Don’t set it and forget it at this step! It will burn fast if you don’t pay attention.
Once it’s done broiling, remove the Mac and Cheese from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Garnish and serve.
Garnish with freshly chopped chives or whatever you wish.
This dish is best served and enjoyed fresh, although leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Tips to make the best Carnivore Mac and Cheese
- Reference these photos when creating the “mac”:
Other favorite dinner ideas:
Cobb ‘Salad’ with Duck Fat Ranch Dressing
Carnivore Mac and Cheese
Carnivore Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
For the "breadcrumbs":
- 2.5 oz pork rinds (pre-ground)
- 2 oz raw cheese
For the "mac":
- 2 eggs
- 1 lb raw ground chicken
- grass-fed ghee (for pan-frying)
- sea salt, to taste (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
For the cheese sauce:
- 6 oz cheese
- 1 cup milk or cream
- 2 tsp yellow mustard (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
- sea salt, to taste (ASHLEYR for 15% off)
Garnish:
- Chives (to taste - optional)
Instructions
Make the "breadcrumbs".
- In your blender, blend the pork rinds down to a fine powder, then set the powder aside in a bowl.
- Cut 1/4 (2oz) off your 8oz block of cheese.
- In the same bowl with the pork rind powder, with your vegetable grater, finely shred the 2oz block of raw cheese.
- Mix the pork rind powder and shredded raw cheese around with your hands to get it to a uniform consistency, then set the mixture aside.
Make the "mac".
- Note: if you go through tons of salt in your household like we do, check out this salt purchasing hack that will save you money + make things more efficient. We started this last year, and I'm so happy we did!
- Pour the paste into your freezer bag (or large plastic bag) and zip it shut while removing the air and pushing the mixture down to one corner.
- Note: Act as if you're creating a tool to ice a cake. There are pictures under the "Tips to make the best..." section to demonstrate this for reference.
- Place 1-2 tbsp of ghee in your cooking pan, and bring to medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, cut one of the corners of the plastic bag with your kitchen shears, creating a hole to squeeze out the mixture.
- Squeeze out nuggets of the chicken-egg mixture into the hot pan, and pan-fry them until golden brown. I did 1-2 minutes on each side, then kept flipping them until they turned the color I wanted.
- Note: There are pictures under the "Tips to make the best..." section to demonstrate this step for reference.
- You may have to add more ghee to the pan if it runs out before you're done pan-frying. Once the pieces are all done frying, place them in your 8" cast iron pan (or whatever baking dish you're using) and set it aside.
Make the cheese sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Pour the milk (or cream) into your cooking pot, and bring it to a boil while stirring.
- Once the milk is boiling, slowly stir in the remaining (6oz) cheese.
- Once it's fully mixed, remove the sauce from heat.
Prepare the dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the mac. It may be watery. This is normal and it will thicken while baking.
- Note: There are pictures under the "Tips to make the best..." section to demonstrate what this looks like for reference.
- Top the Mac and Cheese with a thick layer of your breadcrumb mixture.
Bake the dish.
- Place the Mac and Cheese in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Broil the dish.
- Near the end of the 10 minutes, set your oven to broil and watch it closely. Broil for 30-60 seconds, or until the breadcrumbs start to crisp up and brown. Don't set it and forget it at this step! It will burn fast if you don't pay attention.
- Once it's done broiling, remove the Mac and Cheese from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Garnish and serve.
- Garnish with freshly chopped chives (do not use if strict carnivore) or whatever you wish.
- This dish is best served and enjoyed fresh, although leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
What I used for this recipe:
Other favorite dinner ideas:
Cobb ‘Salad’ with Duck Fat Ranch Dressing
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I’m on a very restricted animal based diet that my medical nutritionist put me on and I’m so excited to find your website!! This looks so good. I’m going to try it this week. I can’t wait to try all of your recipes.
Author
Yay! Welcome. 🙂
Do you have to use Raw Cheese? I am not able to get it where I live. The website that your link goes to is all sold out of everything and I don’t even know if they ship their products.
Author
Nope, pasteurized cheese will work. Raw Farm (the website I linked – I’m partnered with them) experienced a devastating fire in their creamery recently. I believe they are back up and running again with product in stores, but they may be still catching up with online inventory. Hopefully they’ll be up and running again online soon.
I can’t stand pork rinds by themselves but as a breading for chicken or pork, it’s amazing. So maybe give it a try!
We don’t like pork rinds with what can we substitute
Author
I’ve never tried it so I’m not 100% sure, but plantain flour may work. Also, dehydrated chicken skins.