Lobster Macaroni Cheese Herbed (Printable)

Rich pasta with tender lobster and creamy cheese sauce, finished with aromatic herbed breadcrumbs.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni or cavatappi

→ Cheese Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
04 - 3 cups whole milk, warmed
05 - 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
06 - 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ½ tsp mustard powder
09 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
10 - ½ tsp salt
11 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ Lobster

12 - 12 oz cooked lobster meat, chopped

→ Herbed Breadcrumbs

13 - 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
16 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
17 - 1 tsp lemon zest
18 - Pinch salt

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
02 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente; drain and set aside.
03 - In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
04 - Gradually whisk in warm milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, about 4–5 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in Gruyère, cheddar, and Parmesan until smooth. Add mustard powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
06 - Fold in cooked pasta and lobster, mixing gently. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.
07 - In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, melted butter, parsley, chives, lemon zest, and salt.
08 - Sprinkle herbed breadcrumbs evenly over the macaroni and cheese.
09 - Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until top is golden and sauce is bubbling.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of three cheeses creates this ridiculous velvety sauce that coats every single piece of pasta
  • Lobster turns regular mac and cheese into something you'd serve at a dinner party but still want to eat alone on the couch
02 -
  • Warm your milk before adding it to the roux because cold milk can make the sauce seize up and get grainy
  • Don't overbake it or the lobster will turn rubbery, and that's a tragedy you can avoid
03 -
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded because the anti-caking coating prevents smooth melting
  • Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the breadcrumbs for this incredible subtle smokiness that plays so well with the seafood

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