Creamy lobster mac and cheese with lobster meat from a fresh baked and buttered lobster tail? 100 times out of 100, yes please.
This dish starts with the quality of lobster. Canadian Coldwater tails are sweet and tender and everything you are hoping for when eating lobster. There are plenty of other options for tails, but when in doubt choose a cold-water tail, they have less chance of being mushy. This recipe calls for 7-8 ounce lobster tails but the smaller the tails the better, it just involves a bit more work.
Also, you don’t have to buy lobster tails, some seafood markets will sell lobster meat in packages that includes claw meat as well. You can even buy a whole lobster and remove the meat to use for the mac and cheese, it is totally up to you. Whatever path you choose will be a good one, recipes are just guidelines.
When choosing cheese for mac and cheese, you want fresh grated cheese first and foremost. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating to keep the cheese from sticking to itself in the package and won’t melt as well or it won’t be as creamy. As you may know, every cheese tastes different, melts different, and can drastically change a dish. This recipe calls for gruyere and sharp cheddar, they are the most popular to use for lobster mac and cheese but feel free to use your favorite cheese as an addition. If you add mozzarella you will get that stringy pull without changing the flavor too much. Smoked gouda will add smokiness but also add a caramel and nutty flavor. Adding parmesan will add a bit of saltiness. Have fun with it and see what cheeses you think work best.
On to the noodles, pick whichever noodle you prefer. This recipe uses bowtie pasta, but elbows, shells (small or large), radiatore, and especially rotini work great to hold the cheese sauce.
To make the Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe, start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the oven is heating, piggy back your lobster tails.
You do this by taking kitchen shears and cutting the back of the shell down the center from the front of the shell down to the base of the tail but do not cut through the tail. Use your hands to crack and pull both sides away from each other until they separate. Slide two fingers under the lobster meat, inside of the lower side of the shell and pop the lobster meat on top of the shell until it lays flat over the shell.
Season the tail meat with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake the lobster tail for ten minutes or until it temps at 125 degrees. The lobster will be slightly undercooked but it will finish cooking when baked with the mac and cheese.
Next, boil salted water in a pot large enough to cook one pound of pasta. Once the salted water is boiling, add your macaroni to the pot and cook until al dente then strain the water from the noodles and set aside.
In the same pot that you cooked the noodles in, add your heavy cream. Over medium heat bring the cream to a boil. As soon as the cream begins to rise, immediately remove it from the heat. Add shredded gruyere and 8 ounces of the cheddar cheese to the cream and stir until the cheese is melted. Add 3/4 stick of butter, nutmeg, cayenne, celery salt, and pepper. Continuously stir the cheese sauce until the butter is completely melted. Add your lobster meat to the cheese sauce.
In a large mixing bowl, add your pasta and the cheese sauce mixture. Fold and stir well until you have a nice even blend of noodles, cheese sauce, and lobster.
Add your lobster mac and cheese to a buttered casserole or distribute into smaller crocks or gratins.
Mix your bread crumbs with the rest of the butter (melt it first) and the rest of the cheddar cheese (and some grated parmesan if you have some on hand) and generously coat the top of the casserole or individual crocks/gratins.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Let the Lobster Mac and Cheese rest for about 12-15 minutes to allow the cheese to start to set up a bit before serving.
In the picture above there is a garnish of zucchini and carrots that have been lightly sautéed in butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. It is a nice touch for a healthy garnish but it doesn’t add much to the dish, you are better off making a nice vegetable dish on the side.
Enjoy your Lobster Mac and Cheese!
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Lobster Mac and Cheese
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Celery Salt
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne
- 1 lb Bowtie, Elbows, Rotini
- 1 qt Heavy Cream
- 1 Stick Salted Butter cut into cubes
- 1 lb Shredded Gruyere Cheese
- 12 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese Sharp Preferably
- 2 lbs Cooked Lobster Meat From Cooked Lobster Tails
- 2 cups Bread Crumbs Preferably White or Italian
Lobster Tail
- 4 Lobster Tails 7-8 ounces each Canadian Coldwater
- Salt and Pepper
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- 1/4 stick Melted Salted Butter
Instructions
Lobster Tails
- Piggy back the lobster tails and season it with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Bake in the oven at 375 for 10 minutes until it temps at 125 degrees.
- Remove the lobster tail meat from the tail and slice or chop into small chunks or strips.
- Place the lobster tail meat pieces into a bowl and coat with melted butter.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Cook Pasta until it is al dente in lightly salted water. Once cooked set aside to drain.
- Boil your heavy cream until it begins to rise and immediately turn the heat to low.
- Add the shredded gruyere, and 8 ounces of the cheddar cheese to the cream and let it all melt together. Add ¾ stick of butter, nutmeg, cayenne, celery salt, and pepper and continuously stir until the butter has completely melted.
- Add your cooked lobster meat to the cheese sauce and remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your pasta and the cheese sauce and mix until well incorporated.
- In oven safe crocks or gratins add your macaroni and cheese mixture.
- Mix your bread crumbs with the rest of the butter (melted), and the rest of the cheddar cheese and generously coat the top of each dish.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes (until bubbly and golden brown).