Description
This luxurious comfort food combines creamy artisanal cheese sauce with succulent lobster meat, creating a decadent masterpiece perfect for holidays, date nights, or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni (or cavatappi, shells, penne)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 cup cooked lobster meat, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Optional: pinch of cayenne, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons dry sherry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook pasta al dente, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour, and cook 1-2 minutes for roux.
- Gradually whisk in milk and cream, cooking until thickened (5-7 minutes).
- Lower heat and stir in cheddar and Gruyère gradually until smooth. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Fold in lobster meat gently to warm through.
- Add pasta to cheese sauce, mix well, and transfer to baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
For best results, avoid overheating the cheese sauce. Always use pre-cooked lobster and don’t overcook the pasta beyond al dente.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg