White Cheddar Lobster Mac

March 25th: Though it’s technically Spring, to step outside here in Minneapolis you’d never know it. We’re still rocking 25 degree weather, winter coats, and comfort food. This past weekend Ken brought up the idea of lobster mac & cheese for dinner, and I hopped right on board. Yum! We found inspiration in Half Baked Harvest’s recipe and made a few tweaks based on ingredients we already had in our kitchen. The ridiculously creamy béchamel sauce paired with garlic butter sauteed lobster takes mac and cheese to a whole new level. This one’s going in our recipe rotation for sure!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cavatappi noodles
• 8 tbsp butter
• 1 garlic clove
• two – 6 oz  lobsters (fresh or frozen and thawed)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley + more for garnish
• 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers (smashed in tube)
• 1/4 flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 c white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 -1/2 c swiss cheese, shredded
• 4 oz brie cheese, rind removed and chopped
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

 

1. Steam the Lobster: Bring 1″ of water to a simmer in a medium sized pot, and place steamer rack on top of pot. Place lobsters in steamer, cover and steam for about 8 minutes. Remove tails from the steamer and using kitchen shears, cut straight down the central membrane on the underside of the tail. Pull the sides of the shell apart to break the tail lengthwise. Remove the meat from the shell immediately (to stop the cooking) coarsely chop and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9″ x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and boil until al dente (according to package direction). Don’t over cook, as the noodles will continue to cook in the oven. Strain noodles and set aside.

4. While the pasta boils, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds, then add in the lobster meat and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the parsley and cook another 30 seconds. Remove the lobster from the pan and set aside.

5.  Melt another 2 tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed Ritz crackers and toss to coat. Toast the crumbs for 3-5 minutes, stirring every so often. Once the crumbs are lightly toasted, remove from the heat and set aside.

6. In the same pot you used to boil the pasta, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually mix in the milk and turn heat up to medium high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, about 10-12 minutes.

7. Turn heat off and stir in cheese, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix until cheese has melted and is well incorporated. Stir in lobster meat.

8. Turn out into prepared baking dish. Top with toasted crumbs and bake for 10 minutes depending on oven settings. You’ll know it’s done when the sauce is bubbling and crumbs are golden brown.

9. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and devour!