If you’re looking to add a touch of elegance to your dinner menu, try this creamy lobster mac and cheese recipe. With a variety of spices and three types of cheese, the gooey, creamy cheese sauce is simply bursting with flavor. The sweet, tender lobster takes this dish to the next level.
Lobster macaroni and cheese is an excellent recipe to serve as a luxurious side dish to a large crowd or as a fancy main dish for your family. You can even use frozen lobster meat, so you don’t have to fuss with cooking and shelling fresh meat. For more pasta recipes, try my shrimp alfredo, lobster ravioli, and creamy seafood pasta.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Lobster — use fresh or frozen lobster meat, roughly chopped. I like the shortcut of using good quality frozen lobster meat, especially since it is mixed into creamy pasta!
Pasta — I used cavatappi pasta, but you could also use elbow macaroni or your favorite short pasta.
Sauce — to make the white sauce, you need to make a roux with unsalted butter and flour before adding whole milk.
Seasonings — there’s no shortage of flavor in this mac and cheese! You need mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, grated nutmeg, salt, and black pepper for the best flavor.
Cheese — three different cheeses go into this dish for maximum flavor and creaminess! Freshly shred sharp cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, and parmesan cheese for the smoothest sauce.
Topping — the golden brown, crisp topping comes together easily with breadcrumbs, butter, salt and pepper. You could also add some parsley at the very end for a bright pop of color.
How to Make Lobster Mac and Cheese
1. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package instructs so it is al dente. Drain it well and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Make a roux while the pasta is cooking. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add all-purpose flour and whisk while the flour cooks.
3. When the flour has a nutty aroma, after 2 to 3 minutes, slowly pour in the milk while continuing to whisk. Add all the seasonings and cook for a further 5 or so minutes, until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. When the sauce has thickened enough, remove it from the heat.
4. Reserve ½ cup each of shredded cheddar and gruyere cheese and set aside for now. Stir the rest of the cheese (cheddar, gruyere, and parmesan) into the sauce in small batches. Make sure each batch is incorporated into the sauce before adding more cheese. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir gently until the pasta is coated evenly.
5. Fold the chopped lobster into the mac and cheese mixture. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then pour in the mac and cheese mixture.
6. To make the topping, mix together the breadcrumbs, melted butter, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
7. Sprinkle the reserved cheeses over the top of the pasta in the casserole dish.
8. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbling away. To get some gorgeous golden brown color on the topping, broil for a minute or two. Cool the baked lobster mac and cheese for 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped fresh parsley and enjoy.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Seafood swaps: You can use fresh or frozen lobster. Or, switch it up completely and use cooked shrimp, lump crab meat, or even seared scallops!
- If using frozen lobster, thaw it completely, then pat it very dry. Frozen lobster will have more moisture than fresh lobster and can dilute the sauce.
- Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so overcooking it on the stovetop will yield mushy results after it is done baking.
- Use room temperature milk. This helps to prevent the sauce from clumping when the milk is being whisked in. You can also pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up quickly before adding it to the roux.
- Opt for fresh grated nutmeg. It has a much bolder flavor than pre-ground nutmeg.
- What kind of cheddar cheese to use: I recommend using sharp white cheddar cheese to keep the sauce creamy and white, but you can use any kind you have or prefer.
- Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese. It contains anti-clumping agents, which means it also doesn’t melt as well and can create a lumpy or grainy sauce. Instead, grate the cheese at home.
- Add the cheese to the sauce in batches. Add small handfuls of cheese at a time, whisking well to incorporate the cheese into the sauce before adding more cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
This dish is fabulous as a main course with garlic bread, buttery breadsticks, or pillowy focaccia. For some greens, add a side of French green beans or a Brussels sprout salad.
Yes! Simply use your favorite gluten-free flour, pasta, and breadcrumbs. The other ingredients should be naturally gluten-free, but please double-check all labels just in case.
When it has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat. If it has become too thick, add a splash of milk to thin it back out.
I don’t recommend freezing it. The texture of the pasta, lobster, and sauce will be affected by freezing, so enjoy this dish fresh!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this lobster mac and cheese recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Lobster Mac and cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lobster meat cooked and chopped (450g)
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta (or elbow macaroni) (450g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85g)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (45g)
- 4 cups whole milk (960ml)
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar (225g)
- 8 ounces shredded gruyere cheese (225g)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (40g)
For the Topping:
- ⅔ cup bread crumbs (47g)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the Mac & Cheese:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions but about 1 minute less than the stated cook time, so it’s al dente. Drain well and place in a large mixing bowl. (You can drizzle the pasta with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking if desired.)
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk while it cooks until nutty in smell, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Add the mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Reserve ½ cup each of the cheddar and gruyere cheese for the topping. Stir the remaining cheddar and gruyere, as well as the parmesan, into the sauce a small handful at a time. Pour over the pasta and stir until the pasta is well coated.
- Fold the lobster into the mac and cheese mixture. and pour the pasta and sauce into the prepared dish.
For the Topping:
- Stir together the breadcrumbs, butter, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the reserved cheddar and gruyere cheese, and top with the seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbling. Turn the broil to high and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before garnishing with parsley and serving.
Notes
- Seafood swaps: You can use fresh or frozen lobster. Or, switch it up completely and use cooked shrimp, lump crab meat, or even seared scallops!
- If using frozen lobster, thaw it completely, then pat it very dry. Frozen lobster will have more moisture than fresh lobster and can dilute the sauce.
- Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so overcooking it on the stovetop will yield mushy results after it is done baking.
- Use room temperature milk. This helps to prevent the sauce from clumping when the milk is being whisked in. You can also pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up quickly before adding it to the roux.
- Opt for fresh grated nutmeg. It has a much bolder flavor than pre-ground nutmeg.
- What kind of cheddar cheese to use: I recommend using sharp white cheddar cheese to keep the sauce creamy and white, but you can use any kind you have or prefer.
- Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese. It contains anti-clumping agents, which means it also doesn’t melt as well and can create a lumpy or grainy sauce. Instead, grate the cheese at home.
- Add the cheese to the sauce in batches. Add small handfuls of cheese at a time, whisking well to incorporate the cheese into the sauce before adding more cheese.
Leave a Reply