Baked lobster mac and cheese is sooooo good. Who doesn't love carb worthy pasta mixed with delectable gooey cheeses?! I consider it a special occasion food and they usually have them on the menu at steak houses or other fine dining restaurants. This is like having a Capital Grille lobster mac and cheese recipe but at homemade. If you are fortunate enough to live by water it will probably be more commonly on menus and/or be a menu item at seafood festivals in the summer time.
Although more pricey than a traditional mac and cheese, lobster mac and cheese is cheaper to make at home than if you are dining out. The lobster doesn't have to be fresh, it can be frozen raw or cooked lobster which you can find in most grocery stores. With this recipe you can indulge any time in the comfort of your own home. I would even say it's as good as the Ruth's Chris lobster mac and cheese recipe. Homemade lobster mac and cheese is so easy to make and you'll want to make this recipe over and over again.
Lobster Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Pasta- In this recipe I use cavatappi which is like an elbow macaroni that can also be used in this recipe. Cavatappi has a corkscrew shape which in my opinion sticks to cheese sauce beautifully.
Cheese- This recipe has white cheddar, gouda, and mozzarella. I like the look of the mac and cheese remaining a white color with the colors of the lobster and herbs showing through. You can definitely use yellow cheddar if that is what is available to you. I would suggest shredding block cheese instead of buying pre shredded cheese because of the additives. Block cheese melts better.
Herbs- If you have fresh herbs I would highly recommend using it but dried works totally fine and what is used because they are so readily available.
How To Make Lobster Mac And Cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in lobster tails and cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove and run under cold water or put in cold water to stop cooking and cool off. Remove meat from the shells and dice into small pieces. At the same time cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water for later use.
Melt the butter over medium heat and then add the flour and whisk constantly. Cook your roux for about a minute to get the raw flour out.
Add in about a cup of the milk and whisk to get all the lumps out before adding the rest. Add in the rosemary, thyme, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk continuously so that it doesn't burn as the sauce thickens.
After about 5 minutes you should be good and have a thick sauce, béchamel. Take the sauce off the heat and mix in the white cheddar and gouda a handful at a time. The cheese sauce is now complete.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Add the pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce and mix together. If it looks too dry add some of the reserved pasta water. I added about 1/4 cup to make it a little more loose and creamier. Add the green onion and the lobster to the pasta and mix lightly to combine.
Add in half of the pasta to a buttered dish. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the rest of the pasta and then add the rest of the mozzarella to the top. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the pasta. Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Enjoy this creamy lobster mac and cheese while bubbly and hot!
Other Seafood Recipes You May Enjoy
Tips for Homemade Lobster Mac and Cheese
3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
In a 300° oven for 15-20 minutes until warmed through.
It would be good served with a steak, garlic bread, or a vegetable such as asparagus, roasted broccoli, or side salad.
Absolutely! Substitute lobster for cooked shrimp or oven lump crab.
I wouldn't freeze lobster Mac and cheese because of the heavy cheese sauce. Trust me, it won't last long in the fridge to freeze because it's so good.
Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta
- 4 cups milk
- 3 lobster tails
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 8 oz block of white sharp cheddar shredded
- 8 oz block gouda shredded
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 3 tbsp green onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup roasted garlic bread crumbs
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in lobster tails and cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove and run under cold water or put in cold water to stop cooking and cool off. Remove meat from the shells and dice into small pieces.
- At the same time cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve a cup of the pasta water that you may need later.
- Melt the butter over medium heat and then add the flour and whisk constantly. Cook your roux for about a minute to get the raw flour out. Add in about a cup of the milk and whisk to get all the lumps out before adding the rest. Add in the rosemary, thyme, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk continuously so that it doesn't burn as the sauce thickens. After about 5 minutes you should be good and have a thick sauce, béchamel.
- Take the sauce off the heat and mix in the white cheddar and gouda a handful at a time. Mix well until the cheese is melted and cheese sauce is complete.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Add the pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce and mix together. If it looks too dry add some of the reserved pasta water. I added about 1/4 cup to make it a little more loose and creamier. Add the green onion and the lobster to the pasta and mix lightly to combine.
- Add in half of the pasta to a buttered dish. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese. Add the rest of the pasta and then add the rest of the mozzarella to the top. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the pasta. Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Nutrition
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