Lobster Mac & Cheese
intro
Indulgent baked pasta loaded with sweet fresh lobster, a blend of melty sharp cheeses, and crispy buttery panko topping for cozy, upscale comfort food.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook lobster and pasta
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (1 tablespoon/3 teaspoons kosher salt per 4 liters water) to a rolling boil over high heat. Add lobster tails, boil for 8 minutes until shells turn bright red and meat is opaque, then remove with tongs and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Add dry elbow macaroni to the same boiling water, cook for 6 minutes until al dente (firm to the bite), drain and toss with 1 teaspoon (5g) butter to prevent sticking, then set aside. Once lobster is cool, crack shells, remove meat, and chop into 2cm chunks, discarding shells.
Make the roux base
Melt 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once butter is fully melted and foaming subsides, whisk in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes to cook out raw flour taste, until the roux is a pale golden color and smells faintly nutty.
Mix cheese sauce
Slowly pour 480ml whole milk and 120ml heavy cream into the roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Increase heat to medium, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer (small bubbles breaking at the pan edges) and cook for 4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from heat, stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, then fold in 200g shredded sharp cheddar and all 115g shredded Gruyère, stirring until fully melted and completely smooth.
Combine pasta and lobster
Add the drained cooked elbow macaroni and chopped lobster meat to the pot of cheese sauce, stir gently with a silicone spatula over low heat for 2 minutes until every pasta noodle is evenly coated in sauce and lobster is evenly distributed, taking care not to break up the tender lobster chunks.
Assemble baking dish
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease a 2-liter (2-quart) ceramic baking dish with 1 teaspoon (5g) butter, then pour the entire lobster mac and cheese mixture into the dish, spreading it into an even layer with the spatula. Melt the remaining 1 teaspoon (5g) butter, mix it with the remaining 25g shredded sharp cheddar and 60g panko breadcrumbs, then sprinkle this buttery topping evenly over the entire surface of the pasta.
Bake until bubbly
Place the baking dish on the middle oven rack, bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is actively bubbling around the dish edges and the panko topping is deep golden brown and crispy. If the topping browns faster than 12 minutes into baking, tent the dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning for the remaining cook time.
Rest and serve
Remove the baked dish from the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature to allow the sauce to set and thicken, then garnish with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley before serving warm.
Tips
2.Shred cheese fresh from blocks instead of using pre-shredded store-bought cheese, which is coated in anti-caking potato starch that makes cheese sauce grainy instead of smooth.
3.For deeper lobster flavor, steep discarded lobster shells in the warm milk and cream for 10 minutes before adding to the roux, then strain out shells for a subtle seafood-forward taste.
OMG, this creamy baked lobster mac & cheese was the star of our anniversary dinner last night! I used fresh Maine lobster tails like the recipe suggested, and that cheese sauce? *Chef's kiss* So rich, not grainy at all, and the panko topping added the perfect crunch. My partner went back for thirds, no joke.
Made this for Sunday family dinner and my kids literally begged for seconds! I was worried the lobster would be too fancy for their picky palates, but they picked every last bit out of the baking dish. Only note: it took me a little longer than 55 minutes because I pre-cooked the lobster while the pasta boiled, but totally worth the extra effort.
Tried this for my first ever dinner party with my roommates and it went so hard. Used frozen lobster tails since they were cheaper at the grocery store, and no one could tell the difference. Game changer for when I want to make something that looks fancy without dropping a ton of cash.
Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and people were lining up for it before I even set the dish down! A couple of my coworkers asked for the recipe before they even finished their first bite. Only heads up: if you’re making this for a crowd, I’d double the recipe — a 9x13 pan disappeared in 10 minutes flat.
Wait, medium difficulty is no joke y’all! I messed up the roux the first time and it got lumpy, but I started over and followed the steps exactly and it turned out SO good. The white pepper and a tiny pinch of nutmeg in the sauce make it taste so much more elevated than regular mac and cheese.
Solid recipe, but I wish it had a lighter option? Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious, but it’s so rich I could only eat a small serving. Maybe next time I’ll swap half the heavy cream for half and half to cut the richness a little. Still, great for a special occasion meal!
Made this for my husband’s birthday and he said it’s better than the lobster mac we get at our favorite steakhouse! I added a little extra lobster (about 1.5x what the recipe calls for) because we are seafood obsessed, and it was perfect. The bake time was spot on for me — cheese was bubbly, topping was golden, pasta was perfectly tender.
I’ve been making homemade mac and cheese for my grandkids for 40 years, and this recipe just knocked my old standby out of the rotation! The lobster adds such a nice special touch, and the sauce is the creamiest I’ve ever made. I did use a little extra butter on the panko topping because, well, butter makes everything better.
Tried this last night and it was SO good, but does this reheat well? I’m single and don’t want to eat the whole pan in one sitting (okay, I *could*, but I shouldn’t). Thinking of portioning it out for weekday lunches if it holds up in the microwave.
Heads up for anyone with gluten sensitivity — I swapped the regular pasta for gluten-free elbow mac and used GF panko for the topping, and it turned out perfect! No weird texture, the sauce coated the GF pasta just as well as regular. Already shared the modified recipe with my GF friend group.
Made this for our Sunday football watch party and it was a total touchdown! Paired it with garlic bread and cold beer, and the guys were raving about it all game. I skipped the fresh parsley garnish because half my crew thinks cilantro (and apparently parsley) is "grass", but it didn't take away from the flavor at all.
I’ve tried so many lobster mac recipes over the years and this is hands down the best one! The sauce doesn’t break when you bake it, the lobster stays tender instead of getting rubbery, and the cheese blend is perfectly balanced — no weird overly processed cheese flavor here. Already planning to make it for my birthday dinner next month!