Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

The sound of Macaroni and Cheese sounds heavenly but the sight of it where the macaroni is all coated in Orangy goo, just scare the daylight out of me! The best macaroni and cheese I had was the King Crab Mac & Cheese @ Phillips Seafood in Baltimore, MD. The second best perhaps a Truffle (Infused?) Mac & Cheese I had at Medici Cafe @ Las Vegas Ritz Hotel. Ahh… how I would die to  be able to eat them right now!!

Anyways, having experiment with Mac & Cheese a couple times and trying to create perhaps an adult version of it, I decided to make it for my Halloween Dinner. I thought it turned out well except this silly chef forgot…SALT!! With Salt added, the Mac & Cheese was YUMS!

So this recipe was inspired by the King Crab Macaroni & Cheese I had. The cheese is overall subtle and perhaps not overly cheesy. That way you can eat more and not get filled up quickly by all those cheeses! =) If you’re looking for a super duper cheesy Mac & Cheese, this recipe is probably not for you…well unless you add more cheese to it!

LOBSTER MACARONI & CHEESE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Chopped Lobster Meat
• 5 Oz Asparagus, Cut into 1”
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1/2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 2-1/2 Cups Macaroni Elbow
• 3 Tbsp Butter, Divided
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 2 Cup Milk
• 2-1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1/3 Italian Breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

Boil pasta in seasoned water (oil + salt) until al-dente. Drain and set aside. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and add garlic and onion. Once garlic and onion have started to brown, add asparagus and stir fry until asparagus is tender. Remove and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour and stir vigorously to avoid clumps. Stir in milk and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add cheese and cook until cheese has melted. Add in asparagus, lobster, cooked macaroni and mix them well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer macaroni mixture into a 9” x 13” glass baking pan. Top macaroni with bread crumbs and bake in oven for about 20 minutes. This should serve 5-6 people as an entree.

June’s Notes: Feel free to use chopped grilled/rotisserie chicken instead of lobster. If you do not have Italian breadcrumbs in your pantry, feel free to use Panko breadcrumbs. Melt about 2 tbsp of butter and toss in about 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs before topping your macaroni. Bake until the panko turns golden brown!