Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Lobster Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
- For Pasta:
- 1/2 cup butter + more to grease ramekins
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
- For Lobster
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lb. uncooked lobster meat, chopped
- 3 tbsp. grated parmesan
Tools:
- large pot
- medium saucepan
- 8 ramekins (or large baking dish)
- medium skillet
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until 1 minute shy of done. Drain well.
- As soon as the pasta goes in the water, put a medium saucepan on medium-low heat and melt butter. Add flour a little at a time, whisking constantly for 3 minutes to make a roux. Add half and half, a little at time, whisking to combine. Cook 3 minutes until sauce has thickened. Turn off heat.
- Add cheddar and gruyere, salt, nutmeg, cayenne and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add cooked pasta to pan, stir to combine.
- Butter 8 small ramekins or a large baking dish. Spoon pasta/cheese mixture into dish, up to 2/3 full. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
- While pasta is baking, melt 2 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once butter melts, turn off heat and add lobster meat, parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Toss to combine.
- When pasta is done baking, remove from oven. Top pasta with a spoonful of lobster mixture. Set your oven rack to top 1/3 of oven, turn to broil and return ramekins to oven for 6-8 minutes. Lobster should be cooked through and a nice cheesy crunchy crust will form.