New England Lobster Mac and Cheese
Tender elbow macaroni tossed with chunks of succulent lobster and a creamy 3 cheese sauce all topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs that's baked to perfection make this New England Lobster Mac and Cheese an irresistibly delicious twist on the classic comfort food.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Pasta
Cuisine: American, New England
Keyword: Lobster Mac and Cheese, New England Lobster Mac and Cheese
Servings: 6 people
Author: Silvia Dunnirvine
- 16 oz elbow pasta
- 16 oz lobster meat cooked
- 1 stick butter divided
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups gruyère cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley
Panko Topping
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp butter
Cook pasta (al dente) according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, using a large saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter then add in onion and garlic. Sauté until soft and slightly golden, no brown pieces! (3-4 minutes)
Add remaining butter and let it melt completely. On medium-low heat whisk in four until mixture has thickened but it is fully incorporated without clumps. This is an active step, keep whisking so it doesn't burn (2 minutes).
Stir in milk slowly and whisk well until mixture is uniform. Season well with salt and pepper. Keep in mind the parmesan cheese has some saltiness to it. Go heavier on the freshly ground pepper.
Add the cheeses one by one whisking in between. Turn heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes until sauce is nice and creamy. If the sauce is a bit thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water. Use pasta water to adjust thickness of the sauce to your liking.
Add in lobster meat and mix well.
Transfer pasta to a large baking dish. Pour sauce with lobster meat over the pasta and mix well until all the pasta is well coated with sauce. Feel free to place some lobster meat on top for an eye catching visual. Set aside.
Melt butter on a small skillet then add Panko breadcrumbs, toast panko for a couple minutes.
Top lobster Mac and cheese with panko mixture and bake at 375F degrees for 15-18 minutes (uncovered) until cheese is bubbly.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Calories: 725kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 888mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 803mg | Iron: 2mg