Creamy Lobster Mac and Cheese
This Easy Lobster Macaroni and Cheese recipe is the best homemade side dish for any spread. This dish is made with a delicious cheese sauce, tender lobster, and baked to perfection for the ultimate crispy topping.
Servings 10 servings
Calories 487kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or cellentani pasta
- 5 tablespoons butter Divided 4 tablespoons for the cheese sauce and 1 tablespoon to cook with the lobster
- 16 oz lobster meat See notes.
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning You can substitute whatever you like.
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2-3 cups milk I often use 2 cups. Use your judgement. Start with 2 and add more if needed.
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese See notes for extra cheesy mac and cheese.
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmigiano reggiano
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta in a large pot in accordance with the instructions on the package.
- Drain the macaroni and rinse with cold water.
Lobster: You can prepare it 3 ways
Sauteed Lobster
- Heat a skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter. When melted, add in the lobster and Old Bay seasoning.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the lobster into smaller chunks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Boiled Lobster Tails
- Boil the tails in a large pot of boiling water for 8-12 minutes. The meat should be firm and opaque when done. Slice the meat into smaller chunks.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and combine it with the Old Bay Seasoning. Drizzle it over the lobster and set aside.
Baked Lobster Tails
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Butterfly the tails. Use kitchen shears and slice the tail vertically to reveal the meat.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Slice the meat into smaller chunks.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and combine it with the Old Bay Seasoning. Drizzle it over the lobster and set aside.
Cheese Sauce
- Heat a sauce pan on medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and allow it to melt.
- Once melted, add the flour and whisk.
- This will create a roux. Continue to whisk until the four is fully combined.
- Add the milk and heavy whipping cream and stir.
- Add half of the shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
- Add the onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Taste repeatedly. This step is important because this sauce is what the mac and cheese will taste like.
- Return the pasta to the large pot. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until fully combined.
- Add in the cooked lobster and the butter sauce the lobster was cooked in. Stir.
Mac and Cheese
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Begin to layer in the pasta. Start with the pasta and lobster, then add a layer of all of the shredded cheese.
- Add another layer of pasta, and then another layer of cheese.
- Bake for 25-45 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbly. I like for the crust on top to turn a deep golden brown, which takes more time. Use your judgment based on what works for you.
- Cool before serving.
Video
Notes
Lobster Tips
- I use raw, uncooked lobster.
- I like to keep things simple so I use pre-cracked wild-caught lobster claw and knuckle meat from Butcher Box. It's usually only available as an add-on item. It comes in 8oz packages, and I use 2 for this recipe to really load up on the lobster flavor.
- You can also use lobster tails. In general, when purchasing lobster, always look for cold water lobster. It usually comes from the East Coast or Canada. Maine lobster tails are a big deal because the water is so cold there.
- I recommend 16oz of lobster, which is typically 2-3 tails.
- You can substitute any cheese you like in this recipe.
- Always purchase your cheese in block form and shred or grate it yourself. You can also use a food processor. Pre-shredded cheese has preservatives and potato starch to keep it from going bad quickly. These additives don't melt nicely and the dish won't be as creamy. Grate your own cheese. It makes a huge difference.
- Feel free to add more cheese as you deem necessary. To make this a really creamy and cheesy dish, I often add 1 to 1 ½ cups of additional shredded cheddar. I typically add this additional cheese to the cheese sauce to make it really thick.
- You can whatever milk you choose in the recipe.
- I often use a 9x13 rectangular dish. Sometimes I will opt for an 8x8 dish, as used in the photos here. With an 8x8 dish, you will really pile in the ingredients and as it bakes, the sides will bubble and ooze over. This provides a dramatic effect (that looks great), but isn't necessary. I bake the dish on a sheet pan to prevent liquid from oozing into the oven.
- For baking dishes, I often prefer ceramic to glass. A ceramic dish will regulate heat better. When I use glass, the top of the mac and cheese, typically dries out quickly.
- You can also use cast-iron.
- If you're making this for a crowd, I wouldn't make it ahead. This is a dish that's best served fresh while the cheese is still soft and gooey. After making it, I leave it in the oven on warm and covered in foil.
- I also wouldn't prep it in advance. This will ruin the texture of the cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g