Lobster Mac and Cheese
By ROBandSEAN
Ingredients
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 4 cups fiorelli pasta (or whatever pasta you decide to use…4 cups= 1 pound)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 1% milk, 1 cup whipping cream. **The original recipe called for 3 cups whole milk. I used what I had in the fridge. Using cream will definitely make your sauce more creamy.
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 lobster tails, de-shelled, cleaned, chopped (Use as much lobster as you like.)
- A bit of oil/butter to cook the lobster
- 4 cups of mixed grated cheeses *I used 2 cups Swiss, 1 cup aged white cheddar, 1 cup Gruyere* (I’ve seen other recipes use all cheddar, while I’ve seen many with combos of cheddar, swiss, parmesan, or fontina.)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 About 1/2 teaspoon of Creole seasoning**
- I mixed up my own version of a Creole seasoning: 1/8 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika. A little salt and pepper. Use this mixture if you don’t have a pre-mixed Creole seasoning.
Details
Adapted from thishungrykitten.com
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put a bit of oil/butter in a small pan (enough to coat the pan) on medium heat. Add chopped lobster. Saute until cooked, 3-5 minutes. Once the flesh has become opaque, it is done. Set aside. *You can keep this small pan handy for Step 8.
3. In boiling salted water, cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente (I cooked my fiorelli for 5 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water, set aside.
4. While the pasta cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Saute until soft, 3-5 minutes.
5. Add flour, stir, and cook for about a minute.
6. Add milk/cream slowly to pan, while whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Keep whisking, don’t let it burn. Season with 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, and ground nutmeg. Mix.
7. Remove the pan from heat. Fold in lobster, pasta, and cheese. Mix it up well and transfer to a shallow 4-quart baking dish or a casserole dish.
8. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan (I reused the lobster-cooking pan). Take it off the heat and mix in the panko breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning. Mix well and scatter over macaroni mixture.
9. Place your dish of macaroni on a rimmed baking sheet (I think this is in case of overflow) and bake in the oven, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden.
10. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Take a moment to prepare yourself for one of the best meals of your life, and then DIG IN.
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