Martha Stewart seafood mac and cheese makes easy work of a one dish dinner loaded with lobster, shrimp, or crab. She folds a pound of shellfish into a nutmeg cheese sauce, bakes it under crispy panko, and feeds eight for a cozy fall supper.
A crisp green salad is all this rich comfort food needs to round out a dinner party spread. Cook the pasta two minutes short of al dente, so it finishes in the oven without going soft.
Martha Stewart Seafood Mac and Cheese
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium8
servings20
minutes35
minutes650
kcalBubbly four-cheese sauce coating every noodle, sweet shellfish in each bite, and a crunchy golden panko crust that shatters when you dig in.
Ingredients
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster, shrimp, crawfish, or crabmeat, or a combination
4 cups (1 pound) mixed grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, and fontina
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Creole seasoning
Directions
- Preheat and cook the pasta: Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 2 minutes less than al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Cook the onion and garlic: Meanwhile, melt butter over medium in a large saucepan. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a medium bowl and reserve. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Build the cheese sauce: Add flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk; whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg.
- Assemble the dish: Remove pan from heat. Fold in seafood, macaroni, and cheese; transfer to a shallow 4-quart baking dish.
- Top with panko: To bowl with reserved melted butter, add breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning; toss, and scatter over macaroni mixture.
- Bake until golden: Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
FAQs
What seafood works best for mac and cheese?
You can use any mix of lobster, shrimp, crab, or crawfish. For crab, lump or special crabmeat gives the best flavor and texture. Shrimp of any size works since you chop them before folding into the pasta. If using lobster, plan on about five tails to get a full pound of meat.
How do you store leftover seafood mac and cheese?
Refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, then uncover for 2 more minutes so the panko crisps back up. Freezing is not ideal because both the cheese sauce and the seafood change texture after thawing.
Can you make seafood mac and cheese ahead of time?
Assemble the full dish, cover it tightly, and refrigerate up to 1 day before baking. Pull it from the fridge, remove the wrap, and bake at 400 degrees F, adding roughly 10 extra minutes since it starts cold. The panko topping will still get golden and crunchy in the oven.
What cheeses work best in seafood mac and cheese?
Use a mix for the best result: something sharp like Parmesan or Asiago paired with a melty cheese like Colby Jack or mild cheddar. Gruyere, Gouda, baby Swiss, and Monterey Jack all work too. Avoid strong cheeses like blue cheese or feta, because they overpower the seafood.
Why did my mac and cheese turn out dry?
The most common cause is cooking the pasta all the way through before baking. Martha calls for boiling it 2 minutes short of al dente, because it keeps absorbing liquid in the oven. If you skip that step, the noodles soak up all the sauce and the dish dries out.
