Seafood Mac-n-Cheese

By mschweickert

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster, shrimp, crawfish, or crabmeat, or a combination
• 4 cups (1 pound) mixed grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, and fontina
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Creole Seasoning

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 55mins
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 2 minutes less than al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium in a large saucepan. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a medium bowl, and reserve. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk; whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg.

Remove pan from heat. Fold in seafood, macaroni, and cheese; transfer to a shallow 4-quart baking dish. To bowl with reserved melted butter, add breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning; toss, and scatter over macaroni mixture. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.