Lobster Macaroni and Cheese.
Need I say more?
Probably not. Lobster Mac totally speaks for itself. But I’m going to talk about it anyway mmmk?
Macaroni and Cheese is the number one comfort food in the WORLD. I have no idea if that’s true, but if I had to guess, I might put some money on that. Adding buttery lobster just takes it up like 420803 notches!
Bread crumbs are a must in macaroni and cheese according to Vincent Loizzo. “Give me a lot with the crunchy topping.” That’s what he told me. I could go without bread crumbs not because I don’t like them, I LOVE THEM, but if bread crumbs were not on top of my lobster mac, I’m pretty sure I would devour it anyway. To make it really easy, I just used plain old bread crumbs, no butter, no herbs, nothing. There’s enough butter, cheese and salt going on underneath the crunchy breadcrumbs so I kept it simple. The texture of the crumbs is actually enough!
So we LOVE lobster mac at our house. Obviously. I’ve made it a total of 3 times, that’s it. It’s a treat because it’s a little pricey to make – lobster and good quality cheese can add up fast. BUT you have to make it. We typically make it for a special occasion or something so save up!
So the lobster. I’ve tried baking the lobster which worked but I over baked it. eek! I think lobster is so hard to make. I never know when it’s done. So I decided to take the raw lobster meat out of the tail, chop it up, and saute it in butter, garlic and shallots instead. I like this way of cooking lobster for this mac waaaaay better.
The meat is already chopped, flavor is added. and it’s much easier to know when it’s done because you can see ALL the lobster. It’s a little more work to get the meat out, but using some kitchen sheers helps. I didn’t find it that hard.
And you don’t have to wait for it to cool down before you dig it out of the shell. Yay!
Let’s talk about cavatappi noodles. My new favorite pasta. It’s the only noodle I will use in macaroni and cheese. I just love the look and size of it for this dish. It’s the perfect bitw and cheese covers the entire noodle, inside and out. Of course you can use what you want, but these are way fun and a little different than the typical macaroni pasta or penne pasta.
Some quick advice before making macaroni and cheese. Measure out ALL of your ingredients ahead of time. Watch YouTube cooking videos on how to make macaroni and cheese, and finally make sure the milk his hot. It will all makes sense when you read the recipe!
Enjoy. ENJOY!
- 8 ounces cavatappi pasta
- 1 pound lobster tail, tail removed from shell and cut into pieces
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
- 1¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grate white cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 2¾ cup whole milk
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs (panko would work too)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 7 minutes, drain and set aside.
- Remove lobster meat from the shell. I used kitchen sheers and cut down the middle of the shell and pulled apart. The lobster meat pulled right out. Wash lobster meat and towel dry in case any shell pieces are stuck to it, then chop into chunks.
- Before you cook the lobster meat, add milk to a small sauce pan and place over medium-low heat. Make sure the milk doesn't boil. You will use the hot milk for the cheese sauce.
- In a sauté pan, add two tablespoons of butter and place over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and lobster meat. Gently stir until lobster has cooked through. The lobster will turn white and firm up a little. It will only take a few minutes for the meat to cook. If you're not sure the lobster meat is cooked through, take the pan off the heat as you don't want to overcook the lobster. The lobster will finish cooking in the oven. Pour cooked lobster into a bowl and set aside.
- To make the roux for the cheese sauce add 4 tablespoons of butter to large pot and place over low heat. Once butter has melted, add flour and whisk for 1 minute.
- While whisking, slowly pour in heated milk. Continue to whisk until thickened. This can happen very fast or can take a few minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper.
- Add cheese to the roux and stir until melted.
- Lastly add cooked pasta and lobster to the cheese sauce, mix, and pour into an 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake in oven for 20 minutes. If bread crumbs have not browned, turn on the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown.
Lubna Naz
mmmmmmm so yummy and looks perfect! I will try it soon!
Danae @ Recipe Runner
My mouth is seriously watering right now! This looks so delicious, the perfect comfort food meal!
Julie Evink
This looks amazing! Love the crunch from the breadcrumbs!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
I love the cavatappi noodles too! Your mac and cheese looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Your Lobster Mac and Cheese looks amazing! I totally Agree about the ultimate comfort food!
Jessie {Sustainable Seafood Blog Project}
OHHHHHHH this looks so good. I’m such a sucker for mac and cheese (especially when there’s lobster involved!)
juliajolliff
Oh wow! I love lobster and love mac & cheese. What a great combination. I bet it is so creamy and comforting. Wish I was there to help you try this recipe! 😉