Lobster Mac n Cheese

LOBSTER MAC N CHEESE

Friday night in isn’t so bad when you can have a big bowl of lobster mac n cheese from the comfort of your couch. Sounds fancy, but takes less than 30 minutes to make, you’re gonna want to make this ASAP!

Serves 4-5.

For the Lobster Mac n Cheese:

• ½ lb macaroni shells

• 1 ½ cups milk or half and half

• 2 cups chopped cooked lobster (about 3-4 lobster tails)

• 8 oz shredded jack cheese (about 2 cups)

• 4 oz shredded mozzarella (1 cup)

• 4 oz white cheddar cheese

• ½ cup shredded parmesan

• 2 oz cream cheese

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 2 tbsps butter

• 1 tbsp flour

• ½ tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt or Old Bay

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp mustard powder (optional)

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

• 3 tbsps butter

• ¾ cup Italian seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

If you are cooking live lobster, follow the directions below.

For the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling.

• Now, work on your cheese sauce.

• In a large high sided skillet or pot, add in the butter and garlic on medium heat. 

• Once butter has melted and garlic is fragrant, whisk in the flour to create a roux (it will basically start to form a paste). 

• Cook the flour for 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and you don’t see any raw flour or clumps.

• Slowly pour in the milk or half and half, whisking frequently for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

• Add the lawry’s, black pepper, and ground mustard powder and whisk to mix in. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

• Add in the cream cheese and the shredded cheeses and whisk on low until cheese has melted.

• While the cheese is melting, add pasta to the pot of boiling water, stir, and cook 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions until al dente. It should still have a bit of a bite, as it will finish cooking in the pot.

• Add lobster to the cheese sauce to warm through.

• Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse briefly with cold water to stop the cooking process.

• Add to the cheese sauce, stirring until well combined. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside.

• In a skillet, add the butter and breadcrumbs and toast on medium high for 1-2 minutes until slightly browned.

• Top the mac n cheese with the toasted breadcrumbs and serve immediately. Enjoy!

If you are cooking Live Lobster:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling.

• Grab hold of the lobster body and carefully drop into the water. No need to remove the rubber bands from the claws.

• Cook for 6-8 minutes, then remove with tongs. If you are buying lobster in the summer, the shells aren’t as thick so it will likely be closer to 6 minutes. If you are buying in the winter, cook closer to 8 minutes.

• Once the lobster is cool enough to handle, break it down to pull out the meat.

• First, twist off the head and the legs.

• Grab the tail and give it a gentle squeeze until you hear it pop. Turn the tail over and gently remove the shell from the meat and wiggle out the meat once you’ve created enough separation.

• For the tails, twist and separate the claw and twist and remove the small claw on the big claw. Drain the water.

• Use kitchen shears to cut open the claw and other legs and remove the meat.

• Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.