9 Craziest Foods That Have Ever Been Dyed Green (Slideshow)

9 Craziest Foods That Have Ever Been Dyed Green

People around the United States make everyday dishes green to celebrate Ireland. This last of these results in some pretty bizarre combinations. From cottage cheese to lemons to spaghetti, here are 9 foods that have been dyed green — whether you want them to be that way or not.

Beer

Green beer is the signature drink of St. Patrick's Day, but has anyone ever stopped and asked why? Taking a pale lager and putting food dye in it adds a mildly bitter flavor, and it makes an otherwise refreshing brew taste just a little off.

Cottage Cheese

This one is particularly gross when you think about it. This cheese curd may taste creamy and mild, but it looks, well, less than appetizing. When you dye it green, it resembles less a breakfast staple than something that might come out of your nose. Looking for a green cottage cheese dish? Try adding in some pesto for a dip that is creamy and fresh but not stomach-churning in appearance.

Eggs

Dr. Seuss' unnamed protagonist refused green eggs and ham for a reason — green eggs just look rotten. But deviled eggs are one of the easiest foods to color, so it's done in households across the U.S. for St. Paddy's Day. Whether you just dye the yolks or go super-saturated by dyeing the whites too, this breakfast food suddenly turns bizarre.

Grilled Cheese

There are a number of ways to dye your grilled cheese green for St. Patrick's Day without waiting for your cheese to mold. You can take a cue from the rainbow grilled cheese and flavor a white cheese with basil for a kick of flavor in addition to color. Or, you can simply forgo flavor and just add some green food dye to mozzarella or provolone cheese. If you want to take your love of the Irish to the next level, make your own bread at home and dye it green.

Lemons

Wait... Aren't green lemons just limes? No, silly! Because lemons are so lightly colored, you can dye the inside of them really easily. Slice your lemons, place them in green water, and watch them turn color. If you find success with green lemons on St. Patrick's Day, keep them around for April Fool's Day. Your friends will think they are squeezing lime juice into their drinks when really it's lemon. (We never said it was a particularly good prank.)

Macaroni and Cheese

Boxed macaroni and cheese is filled with artificial dye anyway, so why not add in a little bit more and turn your Kraft green? The macaroni noodles will look like little worms swimming through a green swamp, which is totally unappetizing to adults but is sure to fill the kids in your life with joy.

Mashed Potatoes

Dyeing mashed potatoes green is really easy since this food is naturally white, but it turns this fluffy, creamy side dish into what essentially looks like slop. If you want a more delicious way to turn this food green, consider adding chopped parsley or chives into the pot before you mash the spuds.

Popcorn

If you're looking for a fun treat this St. Patrick's Day, turning popcorn green is easy and slightly more appetizing than you'd expect. After you pop your popcorn, melt your butter and add in green food dye. If you want a sweet snack, add food dye into a homemade caramel corn.

Spaghetti

No, we're not talking about pesto or a spinach noodle — we're talking about plain ol' spaghetti. To turn pasta into little green worms, you can either make your own dough by hand, infusing spinach or green food dye during the process, or boil some boxed pasta in green-dyed water. Top it with a green Alfredo sauce for the ultimate "why is this dinner this color?" meal.