Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe
This lobster mac and cheese is packed with lobster, cheese, and the perfect amount of seasonings for an amazing seafood mac and cheese.
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Large Pot
- 9x13 casserole dish
Ingredients
Lobster Tails
- 1 1/2 lbs Lobster Tails, (about 5-6 tails)
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Mac and Cheese
- 16 oz Colby Jack Cheese
- 8 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
- 8 oz Gruyere Cheese
- 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
- 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt, (more or less as desired)
- 2 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 16 oz Macaroni Pasta
- 1 tbsp Chicken Bouillon Paste
Instructions
- First up - prep and cook the lobster. Thaw the lobster in the refrigerator or place into a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, until completely thawed. Shred all of the cheeses and place into a large bowl. Toss together so that all of the cheeses are nice and mixed together.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Use kitchen shears to cut the top of the lobster shell right down the middle. Crack open the shell and remove the meat. Place onto a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and season with old bay seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the lobster is slightly curled and is white and no longer transparent. Set aside to cool.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. As the lobster cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add chicken bouillon paste and stir until dissolved. Then boil pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside (do not rinse your noodles!)
- Begin making the creamy cheese sauce. Start with a simple roux by melting butter in a large saucepan over low heat, then add all purpose flour. Whisk together until the butter begins to thicken, then add seasonings and continue to whisk for 1 minute.
- Pour in heavy cream and whole milk and whisk until fully incorporated into the flour and slightly thickened. Add half of the cheeses and mix until all of the cheese is melted into the sauce. Add the cooked pasta, ensuring that all of the pasta is coated in the cheesy sauce.
- Cut the lobster tails into bite sized chunks.
- Butter a 9x13 baking casserole dish with about 2 tablespoons of butter (room temperature) and add half of the macaroni. Drizzle half of the remaining cheese mixture and half of the lobster on top, then add the rest of the macaroni and cheese and layer again with the remainder of the cheese and the lobster.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the mac and cheese is nice and bubbly, then broil for 2-4 minutes (optional).
Notes
Substitutions
- If you can't find gruyere, mozzarella cheese works in its place.
- Sharp White cheddar cheese is a great substitute for extra sharp cheese.
- Gluten free option: use your favorite gluten free noodles and swap out flour for cornstarch.
- Chicken bouillon substitute: you can simply use chicken broth instead, you'll need about 6 cups.
- Be sure not to overcook your lobster! It's SO easy to overcook your seafood, but there are ways to know when your lobster is done.
- Gradually add the cheese to the sauce over low heat to prevent it from curdling. Remove the sauce from the heat once the cheese is fully melted and blended.
- Quality Cheese Matters:Use a combination of high-quality cheeses for depth of flavor. Grate the cheese yourself for a smoother melt. Never buy pre-shredded cheese for mac and cheese.
- Add in some buttery bacon breadcrumbs for a touch of smoky flavor. Simply toss breadcrumbs in some butter with bacon bits and spread on top of the casserole dish prior to placing in the oven.
- Make it spicy by adding a little cayenne pepper! Start with a little bit, about a 1/4 tsp and taste as you go. Add more as desired.
- Make this lobster mac into a lobster and shrimp mac and cheese by adding cooked shrimp. For best results, use my pan seared shrimp recipe for the shrimp!
- Top with a touch of lemon zest! Lemon and seafood go together like valentine's day and roses. Adding a little bit of lemon zest on top really brightens this homemade lobster mac recipe and pulls out that yummy seafood flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 773kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 54g, Saturated Fat: 33g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 180mg, Sodium: 991mg, Potassium: 359mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1853IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 865mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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