Rich and creamy lobster mac and cheese is loaded with mozzarella, cheddar, and tender lobster meat then topped with breadcrumbs and baked until bubbly and golden brown. This is the ultimate comfort food with a classy spin!
Why this recipe works
Lobster mac and cheese is what some may call a fancy mac, but it’s quite easy to make. One bite will send you into a world of mac and cheese that you didn’t know existed when you pair it with buttery sweet lobster meat. Against all that decadent cheesy, soft texture is a light layer of breadcrumbs on top to add a bit of crunch. It’s rich, creamy, and full of delicious flavor.
You’ll start with cooking your lobster, which we like to use our steamed lobster tails recipe for, boil your pasta, then mix up a simple roux (don’t let that scare you, it’s easy). Plop it all into a baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake until it’s golden brown. It’s worth every last minute of your time!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
PASTA – Cavatappi is a classic choice, after all, it’s the longer, corkscrewed version of macaroni and I feel it adds to the nice presentation of this lobster mac and cheese. However, you can use elbows, fusilli, and even shells. Any pasta with ridges for the cheese to cling to will work well in mac and cheese. Be sure to only cook your pasta to al dente, any more than that and you can risk your pasta becoming mushy after baking in the oven.
LOBSTER – You can cook your lobster however you would like, we like to steam ours. Check out our steamed lobster tails recipe on how to do so. You can substitute with cooked lobster (instead of tails) which you can normally find in the frozen seafood section of your grocery store. If you use frozen cooked lobster, let it thaw completely before beginning.
CHEESE – It’s important to note that in order to get the creamiest outcome of your cheese, you should be shredding it yourself straight from the block. I don’t recommend using pre-shredded cheese from the store as those contain anti-caking agents which prevent the cheese from melting as well and can make your sauce grainy. Feel free to try your hand at this dish with your favorite combination of cheeses. We stuck to the classics, mozzarella and cheddar. Swiss, gruyere, Monterey jack, and smoked gouda are other great options.
How to Make Lobster Mac and Cheese
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Cook lobster and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Cook pasta to al dente, drain and rinse in cool (not cold) water.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with Old Bay, pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Add flour and stir, cook for 30 seconds. Add heavy cream and milk, whisking as you go, until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Allow the cream mixture to cook until hot, you will see small bubbles and steam.
- Slowly add the cheese, stirring as you go. Don’t dump all the cheese in at once. Stir, melt, add more, stir, melt.
- Place half of the pasta into a 13×9 baking dish. Add half the cheese sauce and half the lobster. Repeat layer with remaining pasta, cheese sauce, and lobster.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs all over the top of the pasta.
- Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes, to brown top place under broiler (high 3-4 minutes, or low broil for 10 minutes).
EXPERT TIP – When using the broiler, remember that the broil heat is at the top. So if your dish is on the top shelf close to the flame it will brown a lot faster. Always watch carefully when broiling something.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store leftovers in an air-tight container or topped with a sealed lid (I like to use these baking dishes that come with a pre-fitted lid) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating your lobster mac and cheese can be a bit tricky as you don’t want to overcook your lobster meat. I would recommend reheating it in the oven at 300F for 10 minutes or more until warmed through. You can also reheat it on the stovetop over low heat. You may want to add a splash of milk when reheating to loosen the sauce back up.
Serving Suggestions
Pair with Chardonnay if desired. Serve lobster mac and cheese with a main course of beef such as oven beef ribs, smoked ribeye steak, or lamb chops. Or serve with a crisp salad and sliced french bread on the side.
More Seafood Recipes
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Lobster Mac and Cheese
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 12 ounces lobster tail cooked, four 3 ounce tails
- ½ cup butter
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded from a block
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded from a block
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
Things You’ll Need
- Vinyl gloves for working with lobster
Before You Begin
- It’s important to note that in order to get the creamiest outcome of your cheese, you should be shredding it yourself straight from the block. I don’t recommend using pre-shredded cheese from the store as those contain anti-caking agents which prevent the cheese from melting as well and can make your sauce grainy.
- When using the broiler, remember that the broil heat is at the top. So if your dish is on the top shelf close to the flame it will brown a lot faster. Always watch carefully when broiling something.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Cook lobster and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Cook pasta to al dente, drain and rinse in cool (not cold) water.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with Old Bay, pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Add flour and stir, cook for 30 seconds. Add heavy cream and milk, whisking as you go, until fully incorporated and mixture is smooth. Allow the cream mixture to cook until hot, you will see small bubbles and steam.
- Slowly add the cheese, stirring as you go. Don’t dump all the cheese in at once. Stir, melt, add more, stir, melt.
- Place half of the pasta into a 13×9 baking dish. Add half the cheese sauce and half the lobster. Repeat layer with remaining pasta, cheese sauce, and lobster.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs all over the top of the pasta.
- Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes, to brown top place under broiler (high 3-4 minutes, or low broil for 10 minutes).
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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Neal says
I have zero idea what happened but my cheese sauce turned out clumpy and more like an oatmeal texture…super bummed. I’ve gone over it and simply can’t figure out what happened??? Uhg
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Neal. I’ve sent you an email. If you don’t see it in your inbox, please check your spam.