Lobster Mac and Cheese is not something we have every day... or even once a week. So, when Amy had fresh Maine Lobster delivered for my birthday I knew it wasn't going to be a low-calorie weekend! When she suggested making Lobster Mac and Cheese I was so excited. One thing we knew was we were not going to cut back when making this recipe. I mean, Lobster is not something we have very often. When we lived in Maine we took it for granted. Most summer weekends we loved to have some fresh lobster and some wine while enjoying the great weather.
The lobster was sooo good dipped in butter with some crusty bread and a nice white sangria. It brought back great memories!!! Several of the restaurants in Maine had Lobster Mac and Cheese on the menu so we have never made it at home before. This is part of the reason why when we had this extra lobster, we decided to make the mac and cheese.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
When we decide to make a new recipe we always start brainstorming about the ingredients and our expectations of the flavor. For this lobster mac and cheese, we did not want to cut back on the amount of cheese or anything that would take away from the lobster. In other words, the lobster needed to be the star of the dish! Most recipes have cream or evaporated milk since all we had in the house was 1% milk that's what we went with. Using butter, flour, and milk gave the sauce a nice creaminess.
Of course, we had to add some spice! However, we always kept in mind the Lobster had to remain the star of the dish. We took Panko bread crumbs mixed in some cayenne pepper and sautéed them in olive oil. These bread crumbs added crunch and a nice zip.
TIPS:
- Lobster can be substituted with Shrimp or Crab
- Cook the Pasta for 2 minutes less than what the box has in the instructions
- Salt the pasta water after the water starts to boil.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Pasta
- 4 Ounces Penne Pasta
- 3 Tablespoons Sea Salt
Mac and Cheese Sauce
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Clove Garlic Chopped
- 1 Shallot Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 ½ Cups Milk
- 1 Cup Baby Swiss Cheese
- 2 Cups Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- ½ Cup Romano Cheese
- ½ Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 8 Ounces Lobster
Bread Crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Panko (Plain)
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Romano Cheese
Garnish
- ¼ Cup Fresh chopped Parsley or Basil
Instructions
Pasta and Sauce
- Preheat oven to 350°Start water to boil. Once water starts to boil add 3 Tablespoons of salt. Then add the pasta. Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the pasta container. Melt Butter. Add the chopped garlic and shallot. Saute until the shallot is soft. About 3 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the milk, mustard, and shredded cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, Romano)
- Stir the cheese and milk together until the cheese is melted
- When the pasta is done, drain and stir into the pasta into the cheese mixture
- Pour half the pasta cheese mixture into a casserole dish. Put half the lobster over the pasta
- Add the rest of the pasta-cheese mixture over the lobster
Bread Crumbs
- Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the Panko, Cayenne Pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of Romano Cheese. Heat over medium heat for about two minutes.
- Sprinkle the Panko over the top of the pasta in the casserole dish
- Place Mac and Cheese in the oven. Bake for 30 minutesAdd the rest of the lobster on top of the Mac and Cheese. Heat in the oven for an additional 10 minutes
- Add chopped parsley on top of Mac and Cheese
- Enjoy
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