Macaroni and Brie with Crab

By lbgtdep

Makes: 8 servings Prep: 20 mins Bake: 20 mins 350°F Cook: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound packaged dried medium shell pasta
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Maui), halved and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups milk
• 1 pound Brie cheese, trimmed, cut into small wedges, and chopped (reserve 8 small wedges for topping)
• 12 ounces fresh cooked crabmeat or canned lump crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed
• 3 slices firm white bread, torn into large pieces

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat eight 14- to 16-ounce individual baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside. In a Dutch oven cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to Dutch oven; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook about 15 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook and stir about 1 minute or until combined. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Gradually add the chopped Brie cheese; cook and stir over medium-low heat until cheese is melted. Stir cheese mixture into cooked pasta. Fold in crab. Transfer to prepared baking dishes.
Place bread pieces in a food processor; cover and process until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and crumbs are golden brown. For the last 5 minutes of baking, top each dish with one of the reserved small Brie wedges. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.