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A baking dish filled with lobster mac and cheese topped with breadcrumbs; a serving spoon lifts a portion. Plates, utensils, and bread are nearby on a wooden table.
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Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe

This is the mac and cheese that makes people put their forks down mid-bite and go quiet. Three different cheeses, plenty of lobster, and enough Old Bay to know it's there without overpowering every bite - this is about the lobster after all. The move is layering the lobster between the pasta - not just a sprinkle on top - so the last bite hits as hard as the first. Golden panko crust, creamy, cheesy sauce that coats every ridge, chunks of sweet lobster in every forkful. Twenty-five minutes of work for the kind of dinner people still talk about three weeks later.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 878kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Whisk
  • 9×13-inch baking dish
  • Cheese grater
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Microplane
  • Ramekins

Ingredients

For the mac and cheese sauce

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi pasta
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • 3½ cups half and half
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 8 ounces Gruyere shredded
  • 2 cups cooked lobster meat chopped into bite size pieces

For the topping

  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Combine the cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gruyere in a mixing bowl. Toss the cheeses together and set the bowl aside.
    A bowl containing shredded white and yellow cheese sits on a wooden surface, with a fork and a cloth napkin nearby.

Boil the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until right before it’s al dente, following the package time as a guide. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Make the roux

  • Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until the mixture looks smooth. Cook while whisking for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Pour in the half and half in a slow stream while whisking. Keep whisking until the sauce looks smooth with no lumps. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce gently bubbles and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Make the cheese sauce

  • Stir in the mustard powder, Old Bay, Creole seasoning, nutmeg, and black pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and stir about two thirds of the mixed cheeses into the hot sauce until the cheese melts. Reserve the remaining cheese mixture for layering.
    A metal mixing bowl filled with thick, smooth cheese sauce and a spatula resting inside, placed on a dark wooden surface.

Combine and assemble the lobster mac and cheese

  • Fold the pasta into the cheese sauce until coated. If the sauce feels too thick, stir in a small splash of hot tap water or reserved pasta water until it loosens slightly.
    A pot filled with creamy macaroni and cheese sits on a wooden surface, with a spatula resting inside.
  • Stir together the panko, melted butter, and dried parsley in a clean mixing bowl until the crumbs look evenly moistened.
    A white bowl filled with the macaroni and cheese panko topping on a wooden surface, with a spoon resting inside the bowl.
  • Spread half of the pasta and cheese sauce mixture in an even layer in the baking dish. Scatter half of the lobster over this layer, then sprinkle half of the reserved shredded cheese mixture on top.
    Rectangular white baking dish filled with macaroni and cheese, topped with pieces of lobster, on a wooden surface.
  • Add the remaining pasta and sauce on top. Scatter the rest of the lobster and remaining reserved shredded cheese. Cover the surface with the panko mixture.
    Rectangular white baking dish filled with macaroni and cheese topped with breadcrumbs, lobster meat and shredded cheese, resting on a wooden surface.

Bake the lobster mac and cheese

  • Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the topping looks crisp and deep golden.
    A baked lobster macaroni and cheese casserole with a golden breadcrumb topping in a white rectangular dish, shown on a wooden table with plates, cutlery, and bread nearby.
  • Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Use different pasta shapes like cavatappi, shells, or small rigatoni if you do not have elbows. Choose shapes with ridges so the sauce and cheese cling well between layers.
  • Adjust the cheese mix to your personal taste, while keeping the role of each cheese in mind.
    • Sharp cheddar gives the sauce its main tangy flavor. For a milder flavor, you can use mild or medium cheddar. For a stronger bite, you can use extra-sharp cheddar or increase the cheddar and reduce the other cheeses.
    • Monterey Jack melts very smoothly, softening the sharp cheddar flavor. It adds stretch and a creamy pull to the sauce and the layers. You can replace Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or provolone with whatever you have.
    • Gruyere brings some nutty flavor and keeps the sauce silky. It supports the melt and adds a rich background note in both the sauce and the layered cheese. You can use Swiss cheese or fontina if you prefer.
  • Swap the lobster for other seafood, such as cooked shrimp or crab or do a medley of all three. 
  • Prevent grainy sauce by keeping the heat at low or totally off when you add the cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and do not boil the sauce after the cheese goes in.
  • Avoid gluey or mushy pasta by cooking it only until just shy of al dente. Remember that it will keep cooking in the hot sauce and again in the oven.
  • Fix a sauce that feels too thick by stirring in a bit of warm half-and-half, milk, or hot water. Add the liquid slowly and stop when the sauce looks pourable but still rich enough to cling to the pasta.
  • Watch the topping during baking. If the crumbs brown too quickly while the center is still pale and not bubbly at the edges, cover the dish loosely with foil for the remaining time.
  • Shred your own cheese from blocks instead of using pre-shredded cheese. Packaged shreds often contain starches that can make the sauce less smooth and the layers less melty.
  • Let the half-and-half lose its chill before you start the sauce. Warm dairy blends into the roux more easily and helps prevent lumps.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 878kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 1008mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1610IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 892mg | Iron: 2mg