Recently my friends at Cabot sent me a care package loaded with their Legacy Collection Alpine Cheddar. And of course, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with this ah-mazingly delicious cheddar. It would have to be the king of decadent foods, lobster mac and cheese.
You can find lobster mac and cheese on high-class restaurant menus, pubs and even some of those delicious dives we all love, it’s just one of the comfort foods that calls to us. As it whispers in our ear, worry about the cholesterol tomorrow and just enjoy deliciousnesses tonight.
I love being a chef, mostly because I can shop a chef. One of my favorite stores will always be Restaurant Depot. You don’t have to be a chef to shop there, but you do need a membership card. When we moved to Florida three years ago, although I was ecstatic about the move, I felt displaced from the industry I loved and had spent my life working at.
When I saw there was a Restaurant Depot in Orlando, I decided to stop in and pick up a few items I couldn’t get at Publix and for me, it was like going home. I actually got a lump in my throat and felt a little teary eyed. I was still a chef and the fact that I no longer worked in the industry didn’t matter because I could still shop like a chef. I was with my people……sigh.
Of course, I ramble sometimes but I tell you this because the lobster meat came from restaurant depot in a lovely 2-pound package. The rest of which went on to become lobster rolls.
Let’s get started with the Lobster Mac and Cheese by gathering our ingredients (aka Mise en Place).
Making the cream sauce for the mac and cheese is pretty easy to do and the real trick to the dish comes when you assemble and finish it. If you let it sit too long the noodles will absorb the cream sauce and the mac and cheese will be dry. So to make sure it’s the best it can be, the cheese sauce should be hot and the noodles room temp or warm. Don’t mix it all together and instead layer the noodles with some sauce lobster, more noodles and more sauce. Top with breadcrumbs and finish under the broiler. Don’t let it bake or sit any longer than you have too.
In truth, I let mine sit a little too long and although it was delicious, it could have been creamier. I didn’t use all my cheese sauce either, which was Lisa’s preference, so it would have been a little creamier with that as well.
You love comfort food you might also like these recipes:
- Chicken Marsala
- Deconstructed Chicken Stew
- Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- White Truffle Oil Mac and Cheese
I love a good cheddar cheese sauce and any of the Cabot Cheddars would make delicious mac and cheese. My all-time favorite cheese is the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, you just can’t usually find it in the grocery stores (not even restaurant depot). And this is epic eating cheese, each bite to be savored……..sigh. This was not a sponsored post, I just love the deliciousness of Cabot Cheese!
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 pound cooked lobster meat body and claw
- 1 lb elbow macaroni or your favorite pasta
- 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded or cheese of your choice
- ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
- ¼ tsp nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease an 8″ x 8″ baking dish
- Boil the elbow macaroni for 7 minutes or until al dente, drain and set aside
- cut the already cooked lobster meat into manageable pieces
- heat the milk in a saucepan until hot, but do not allow it to boil.
- In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour, whisking until combined
- Gradually add the heated milk, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. You may need to add additional milk or water if it becomes too thick.
- add in the shredded cheese and mix until fully incorporated
- Stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and mix well
- start a layer of the cooked macaroni in the baking dish and ladle cheese sauce covering it completely.
- Add a layer of lobster pieces , and then another layer of macaroni.
- add a few pieces of lobster on top(for visual appeal) of the last layer of pasta and then cover with the remaining cheese sauce.
- sprinkle the Italian bread crumbs on top of the finished mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
- For the last 5 minutes turn on the broiler to add color to the top.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Jo
Who can resist this pasta. Mac n cheese never fails. Never tried mac and cheese with lobster, it looks so very delicious!
Moop Brown
This Mac and cheese looks incredibly comforting and filling. I love the way you paired 2 of my favorite foods in this dish!
Loreto Nardelli
This definitely deserves 5 stars. Lovely dish!
Loreto Nardelli
Chef Dennis, this is exsquisite luxurious comfort food at its best. Making that cheese sauce so cheesy and having those morsels of lobster makes for a taste bud tantalizing experience. We don’t have Reasaurant depot here but it sounds like a cool place!
Cheers!
Beth
I used to think that Lobster was the ultimate birthday dinner, but combining it with mac and cheese really takes it into decadent comfort food. Loved the story about shopping like a chef.
Farrukh Aziz
This lobster Man n cheese was so delicious, it was creamy and cooked perfect, we had great Saturday family dinner. I have saved this recipe and am making this again soon. Thank you very much for sharing this amazing recipe Chef! 🙂
Neha
I am loving how creamy, rich and delicious it looks! I like the use of cheddar cheese in this lobster mac and cheese. A lot of cheddar is sitting in my fridge and now I know where I am going to use it, yum!
Jenny
May I say that this is the best lobster mac and cheese I have ever had? We wanted Christmas to be special this year, and we also did not want to roast anything. Your fabulous dish came to the rescue, and it was comforting, delicious, and such a treat. Felt like a hug! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. We loved it and will make it again.
Kathryn Donangelo
This lobster Mac and cheese is one of my favorites and love how it’s made with white cheddar. It pairs perfectly with the lobster and I’ll be making this again for a Christmas side dish. Thanks Dennis!
Gloria
OMG….this is the ultimate comfort food. It takes mac and cheese to a whole new level. My kind of recipe….and finally I have convinced hubby to like lobster. Maybe that is a bad thing since now I will have to share LOL.
Chef Tami Conklin
Chef – This Was Very Nice. I Made This for Another Lady Chef and We Both Enjoyed This Dish Very Much – Thank You.
Ken Albert
Living in Maine, our family has a tradition of enjoying something with lobster / sea food for our Christmas meal. I used this recipe (doubled), and it was a BIG hit. I couldn’t find the Cabot Alpine, but I did find their shredded Mac & Cheese, which is a nice blend of the Alpine and some of their Sharp Cheddar. This dish was so appreciated that it will be a new staple for hardy meals requiring wonderful comfort food.
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear your family enjoyed my mac and cheese recipe and just about any cheese you like will in mac and cheese will work with this recipe. I hope you find more deliciousness to try on blog
Mike
I used a good GRUYERE and TRULY aged sharp cheddar and 1/2 again more sauce.Great simple recipe that made great left overs.
Chef Dennis Littley
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Mike!
David
Over from England, skiing in Stowe, and looking to cook lobster mac ‘n cheese. Found your recipe and followed it to the letter. Didn’t know we were a stones throw from the Cabot creamery until we Googled it – the cloth bound was fab. With lobster from Stowe seafood and your recipe we had a match made in heaven. Thanks Dave
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for finding my recipe and giving it a try Dave! I do love Cloth Bound Cheddar.
Susan Green
This is absolutely the best lobster mac I have ever made turned out wonderful thank you very much and I was wondering could you substitute the lobster with crab and do you have a recipe for creamy crab dip
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the great rating and comment Susan, I’m glad you liked the recipe and you can indeed substitute the lobster with crab. I do have a cheesy crab dip https://www.askchefdennis.com/cheddar-lobster-dip/ and also a shrimp scampi dip and also a crab imperial recipe that is amazing!
Have fun cooking!
Monica
I made this and it turned out really well. I made a few changes, but I don’t think it effected the over all recipe. I added an extra 1/2 liquid,the liquids were 1 cup of milk,1/2 cup of beer,1/2 c heavy cream ,1/2 cup of half-half. I left out the bacon and I mixed it all together I did not layer it. Again it turned out well the sauce was nice and it reheated well.
GiGi Eats
This is absolute HEAVEN in my mind! Hubba hubba! Lobster and then white cheddar and than mac & cheese. YEEESSSS please oh please!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you for the great review!
Jenny
Is this unsalted butter?
Chef Dennis Littley
unsalted or salted its up to you. I generally use unsalted for everything
Noreen
Is sharp cheese and Swiss cheese a must use in lobster mac&cheese?
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Noreen
Not at all, feel free to use whichever cheese you like.
Mary P.
My cheese sauce was a bit gritty, what did I do wrong?
Chef Dennis Littley
it could be a number of things Mary. 1) the sauce could have gotten too hot causing the cheese to separate 2) The roux may not have been cooked long enough 3) the cheese you used could have been not properly aged. Off brand cheeses sometimes take shortcuts.
Felix Vasquez
If I accidentally under cooked the lobster tails, will the finish cooking in this dish?
Chef Dennis Littley
the lobster will continue cooking as you bake the mac and cheese.
Susan
I’ve just discovered Chef Dennis and I am so glad that I did. As a former editor-in-chief of a magazine brand that featured “tested-till-perfect” recipes, as well as a number of cookbooks, recipes are definitely my thing. I’m definitely going to add this dish to my vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve).
What I really liked about Dennis’ great recipes is his recipe style and that he explains terms and gives tips that will help any home chef. Thank you Chef Denis! Wishing you the very best for the holiday season and new year. Buon Natale!
Janine A
Can this be made in a crock pot? If so, how?
Chef Dennis Littley
I don’t think that’s a good way to cook this dish. The lobster would get seriously overcooked and the pasta would get mushy.
Nikki
My husband wants me to make this to bring as a side on thanksgiving. What would be the best way to prepare it ahead of time and still keep it creamy since there won’t be a way for me to cook it at our destination other than to maybe put it under the broiler?
Chef Dennis Littley
Hi Nikki
the problem with cooking this and traveling is as it sits the liquid gets soaked up making the end product a little dry. The only way to combat this would be to bring some extra cheese sauce with you and mix it in before serving. (Increase the recipe by adding another 1/2 cup of milk, this will give you a little extra sauce) You could microwave the sauce a bit or heat it under the broiler.
Rodger
Thanks for this tip. I will try it
Tim
I can’t wait to try this recipe out. I hope I can find some real Cabot cheese out here in Vegas? I grew up in Vermont, and Cabot is the best! Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks. Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Tim
I do love Cabot Cheese, its always my first choice! It was pretty tasty and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Jeanne
Hi Dennis
This is not the correct page to thank you but, I couldn’t find a link to do so for the most fabulously, amazing, authentic perfectly worded Tiramisu recipe. I made this for a dinner party last night and was too excited to sleep wondering how it would turn out. Mind you, there are many fake recipes out there but this was, as my very Italian, Italian partner said to me, the best Tiramisu he has eaten since Rome and Sicily!!! Thank you so much.
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Jeanne
I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed my tiramisu recipe. It truly is the best I’ve ever tasted in the states.
https://www.askchefdennis.com/the-best-tiramisu-you-will-ever-make/
Cheers
Dennis
Maria
Oh my gosh!! This looks fabulous. I will definitely be making this with crab! Its my husband’s favorite.
Mary Pisarkiewicz
YUM looks delicious! I want to try this recipies!
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Mary
yes it was pretty awesome. Feel free to add in some of your favorite cheese as well.
Anne
I wonder how this would work in muffin tins for appetizers??
Chef Dennis Littley
it should work fairly well Anne, it just may be a little drier than normal.