This easy Lobster Mac and Cheese is the ultimate elegant comfort food. Chunks of fresh Lobster meat and tender Macaroni in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.
Baked Mac and Cheese is, hands down, a top favorite side dishes. This is an elegant upgrade to one of the best Pasta Recipes, easy enough for a busy weeknight dinner and fancy enough to serve at an Oscar Viewing Party.
There are few dishes that say decadence and elegance like a perfectly made melt-in-your-mouth lobster tail. With this recipe, you won’t have pay top market prices to get a delicious lobster macaroni that you can serve as a side or as a main dish.
This fancy Lobster Mac and Cheese is made with fresh grated cheddar cheese and baked just long enough for the macaroni to soak up the rich sauce, and the lobster meat to stay perfectly tender. Make weeknight dinner easier by preparing the cheddar cheese sauce while the fresh lobster is cooking.
While you can use canned lobster in a pinch, cooking fresh lobster for this recipe is best and not as hard as you think. It is worth the little extra effort and tastes so much better than canned lobster meat! You’ll find how to broil lobster further along in the post. You’ll need about 3-4 medium lobster tails to get a pound of meat.
For a full steakhouse experience, serve this Lobster Mac and Cheese alongside perfect Ribeye Steak and Sautéed Green Beans. Finish off with a copycat Roy’s Hot Chocolate Soufflé. You can also serve this as a main dish by adding a lighter side dish, like a fresh green. Just for fun at the bottom of this post, you will find a sample of how to put together an easy menu for hosting an Oscar viewing party (or any fancy event) with Lobster Mac as the main course.
Can I Make Lobster Mac and Cheese in the Slow Cooker?
It is great to have a back-up slow cooker mac and cheese for any recipe, especially for serving a party that requires the oven for other dishes. However, it is not recommended to make this Lobster Mac and Cheese in a crockpot. The longer cooking time will, as a result, cause the lobster meat to get tough.
More Awesome Mac and Cheese Recipes
Bacon Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
Boston Market Mac and Cheese (Copycat)
Baked Mac and Cheese
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you won’t cover this Mac and Cheese with foil. It will steam if it is cooked with a cover. To keep that lovely baked texture, you will cook it uncovered.Can
The mustard powder will add a nice dimension of flavor to your Lobster Mac and Cheese so it is not recommended to skip it. Regular mustard would add too strong of a flavor and should not be used as a substitute.
Using pre-shredded cheese is not recommended for anything but the topping. Pre-shredded cheese has added ingredients in it which help to prevent the cheese from naturally sticking together. This also creates a less smooth and creamy texture to your Mac.
You can use canned lobster meat for this recipe if you choose. However, you will be surprised at how easy and quick it is to broil your own lobster tail, in 10 minutes or less. The flavor will also be fresher, and more impactful throughout your dish if you use a fresh lobster tail.
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Variations on Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Cheese: Blend in your favorite cheeses along with the cheddar. Freshly grated cheese is always best so that it won’t separate. Try using fontina, smoked mozzarella, or white cheddar.
- Meat: If you are a seafood lover, mix in cooked shrimp, scallops, or lump crab meat. Additionally, you can use canned seafood. However, fresh seafood will be the best choice.
- Spices: Give your Lobster Mac some heat by adding a ¼ teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper to your cheese sauce. Other spices to try are ground mustard, nutmeg, or garlic powder.
- Richer Flavors: Make your dish richer by adding some heavy cream to your roux. You can also sauté some shallots and fold them into your mac and cheese.
How to Easily Broil Lobster Tails:
- Preheat the broiler on High.
- Place your lobster tails on a baking sheet.
- With kitchen shears, carefully cut the top side of the lobster shells lengthwise without cutting tail.
- Pull shells apart slightly, then brush the meat with melted butter, salt, and pepper.
- Broil lobster tails until the meat is opaque, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Best Oscar Viewing Party Menu
- Lobster Mac and Cheese (obviously): Bake in mini ramekins or small oven safe bowls for individual portions. There’s just something about individual portions that makes every guest feel special.
- Spinach Artichoke Cups: Prepare some creamy, delicious Spinach Artichoke Dip. Line a mini muffin pan with squares of puff pastry and spoon in some dip. Be careful not to over-fill the cups. Keep the filling below the top of each cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, until golden.
- Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts: These elegant, easy snacks are an upgrade from regular bacon wrapped apps. They’ll be a smash at any party.
- Winter Fruit Salad: Finish off a decadent meal with this beautiful, fresh fruit salad with tangy lemon dressing.
- Popcorn: Don’t forget this movie staple! Make big batches quickly with my Easy Cheddar Popcorn.
More Steakhouse Side Dish Recipes
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Morton’s Steakhouse Creamed Spinach (Copycat)
Sautéed Green Beans
Roasted Garlic Butter Mushrooms
How to Store Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Serve: Lobster Mac and Cheese can be left at room temperature for no more than 2 hours.
- Store: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, cook at 300 degrees until warm.
- Freeze: Store in a sealed container for up to 2 months in the freezer. Allow to cool completely before freezing to avoid moisture collecting.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 6 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cups white cheddar , shredded
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese , shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , freshly grated (not the stuff in the jar)
- 1 pound cooked lobster , roughly chopped
Buttery Crisp Crust
- 1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs , or Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 cup parsley , chopped for garnish
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , freshly grated (not the stuff in the jar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cook pasta one minute shy of the ingredients on the box, then drain.
- In a large dutch oven on medium heat add the butter, onion and garlic, cooking for 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Add flour, whisk well and cook for 30 seconds then add in the milk in a very slow stream while whisking and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add salt, paprika, ground mustard, and black pepper and whisk well to combine.
- Whisk in the white cheddar, Gruyere cheese, and ½ cup Parmesan until melted.
- Add pasta and cooked lobster to the pot, stir well then add to the baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl add the Ritz cracker crumbs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, and melted butter and mix well, then add it over the top of the pasta.
- Bake 25-28 minutes, the cheese is bubbling and the cracker crumbs are golden brown.
Nutrition
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There is no dry mustard in the ingredients list. How much?
My apologies Annette. I recommended dry mustard and then created this recipe without it this time! Normally I use 1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard in this recipe. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will work on updating the recipe asap!
Hi Sabrina,
I can’t see the dried mustard quantity in the ingredients list. How much should I add?