What’s better than lobster, I would say it’s Lobster Mac and Cheese. Creamy mac and cheese baked until golden brown is yummy and delicious comfort food but adding sweet and succulent lobster meat to it creates magic in your mouth. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t enjoy having this upscale comfort meal on a special occasion.
Sweet chucks of lobster meat swimming in a delicious cheese sauce coats pasta shells that are topped with garlicky crunchy bread crumbs that creates a memorable meal perfect for any special occasion but is actually easy to prepare. The dish gets its great flavor from three cheeses, Fontina, Gruyère and Pecorino Romano. If you want to take the dish over the top, add a little creamy Mascarpone cheese to the mix. The lobster mac and cheese has a delicious crunchy topping made with garlicky Panko breadcrumbs, butter, lemon zest, parsley and Romano cheese. Comfort and gourmet all in one, making every bite special and delicious. I know that lobster is expensive but when you want a special meal, I can think of nothing better than this dish.

Lobster Mac and Cheese
Serves 4, adjust the recipe according.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 1/2 to 2/3 c. pasta per person, depending on the size of the pasta (I used a beautiful Cestini shell pasta from Abruzzo, Italy but any hollow pasta or pasta with ridges works well)
- 1 – 1/2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced fine
- 1/4 c.toasted Panko bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1/4 c. grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. flour (I used Wondra, an instant flour)
- 1 1/2 c. of milk, half and half or cream (I used half and half), more if sauce becomes too thick
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 c. grated Fontina cheese
- 1/2 c. grated Gruyère cheese
- 1/4 c. Mascarpone cheese (optional)
- 1 c. cooked and chilled lobster meat, chopped (I used meat from 2 lobster tails about 6 – 8 oz. each)
Melt 1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil in a small pan and add the minced garlic and simmer until translucent. Remove from the heat and stir in the Panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, lemon zest and parsley until coated and crumbs are the consistency of wet sand. Add the Romano cheese, mix well then set aside for later.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about one minute less than the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Slowly add the half and half and whisk until blended. Add the salt, pepper, onion powder and mustard, whisk and then simmer for a few minutes until you have a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and add the Gruyère, Fontina and Mascarpone (if using) to the sauce.
When the pasta is done, drain well and add to the cheese sauce and stir until combined then add the cold lobster meat.
Transfer into a buttered baking dish then top with the Panko breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet and put in a 350 degree oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly. If not brown on the top, place under the broiler for a minute but watch carefully so that the crumbs don’t burn. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Cook the pasta about a minute less than the directions on the box so that the pasta isn’t mushy after it is baked.
Before adding the cheese, remove the sauce from the heat so that the sauce doesn’t separate.
If you cheese sauce appears too thick, thin with a little milk.
I used meat from 2 Florida lobster tails about 6 – 8 oz. each but if you have access to a cold water 1 1/2 to 2 pound Maine lobster, that would be wonderful. The meat from the claws and knuckle is the sweetest and most tender lobster meat available.
Have your cooked lobster meat cold before adding the the dish, this will help prevent the lobster from overcooking and turning rubbery.
All of the ingredients that go into the baking dish are fully cooked and only need to baked until hot. If you overcook, the pasta will be mushy and the lobster tough.
Cook’s notes
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Sweet and succulent lobster meat is a gourmet treat any time but adding it to creamy mac and cheese that has a crunchy breadcrumb topping makes for an outstanding and delicious comfort meal. While its an easy recipe to make, the ingredients are what make this dish special enough to serve at an anniversary, birthday or a romantic Valentines dinner.
This looks amazing and now I´m hungry! Where can I get lobster at 9 pm??
It’s snowing like crazy here right now, so this sounds and looks like manna from heaven. It’s always good to show your New England roots haven’t totally left you either. 🙂
wow what a fine gourmet mac and cheese! Wish I could get some lobsters with reasonable price over here.
Angie
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
OMG! I’d die and go straight to heaven after eating that!
This looks wonderfully indulgent!
Love this! Thanks for the inspiration for a Dungeness crab we have in our freezer. Greetings from Chignik Lake, Alaska.
It’s fun to see we have the same great tastes in food, dinnerware by Villeroy and Boch and Le Creuset baking dish – same color too! I love mac and cheese – throw in some seafood and I’m all in 🙂 I made it for a sister once and she said I didn’t add enough lobster – small problem!
Wow, Karen. This really epitomises upscale comfort food 😊👍
What a terrific dish! I’ve had this in restaurants but never made it at home. High time I did! Such a nice recipe — thanks so much for the inspiration.
Wow taking comfort food up a big notch!
What a wonderful dish. I just love the now in snowy London!
You can imagine what a popular dish this is at our house during the summer!
Wow! I call this luxury comfort food. It’s absolutely a beautiful dish, Karen. Thank you…won’t take me long to make this one. 🙂
What a wonderful dish Karen. I’d love to make it sometime. For Valentine’s day (our wedding anniversary), I am making your SLICED DUCK BREAST WITH CUMBERLAND SAUCE. I made the sauce last week, and served it with a turkey thigh we had in the freezer. My husband and I both loved the sauce with the turkey. We’re both looking forward to trying it on the 14th with the duck breast.
Karen, mac-n-cheese is all-time favorite comfort food in our house. Adding lobster just puts it over the top. I like experimenting with different kinds of cheeses and adding ingredients like bacon, mushrooms, scallions, etc. Will definitely try this recipe.
Delicious!!….this is a gourmet mac and cheese….more like quattro formaggi pasta with lobster….great dish!!…. .Abrazotes, Marcela
A special treat I wouldn’t mind having right now.
I wholeheartedly agree that lobster mac and cheese is one great dish. I first ate it while on a Maine road trip several years ago — three times! I’ve tried to recreate it home but without great success. I’ll try your recipe and hints. (Would have to be frozen lobster tails for me, though, here in rural Pennsylvania.)
What a dreamy & decadent dinner! I love that you used marscarpone, what a great idea!
Jenna
Now that sounds like an amazing dish! I have been looking for Wondra for weeks and all my stores are out of it.
Isn’t that a funny thing for a shortage? I had trouble finding it a few months ago, but it is back on my market’s shelf now. I like to keep it in the pantry for a few special dishes.
Lobster mac and cheese is crazy good! Yours looks delightfully perfect!
Is isn’t this a feast for the eyes this morning! And the addition of Mascarpone just made it all that more delightful!
Looks rich and delicious and I’m sure I would love it.
Karen, what a delicious and gourmet Mac and cheese! Thanks for sharing
We always wanted to make a lobster Mac and cheese and still till this day, we have not.
Love the garlicky Panko topping! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks so much Karen!
I remember my first Lobster Mac & Cheese and coincidentally, it was in Florida! Those succulent chunks of lobster meat in the creamy cheese sauce was to die for! I love your tip to have the cooked lobster meat cold so it doesn’t toughen up.
Be still my heart. This looks to die for. (Maybe these are bad choices of words!) Yum!
I made this once, when I had weekend company, and I wasn’t impressed. I don’t remember whose recipe I used, but you just couldn’t taste the lobster. I would have preferred a grilled lobster tail sitting next to a good mac n cheese! Certainly your recipe sounds wonderful.
Now THIS is my kind of mac and cheese dish! Mouthwatering!!
Wow this is an upgraded mac and cheese, definitely I would love it, cheese and lobster, mmmmm
Irresistible! This is possibly one of my most favorite things. A delicious indulgence.
Lobster mac and cheese is the ultimate! This looks so dreamy and mouthwatering!!
love the sound of all those cheeses! and i loooove lobster. i’m not a pasta fan but i bet i could still enjoy all the cheesy flavours here.
I’m a huge fan of mac and cheese. Lobster, I have to admit, is just OK with me. But I bet I’d love it in this context.
The first time I had Lobster Mac and Cheese I was a bit skeptical but to my surprise it was absolutely delicious! Your photos brought back a sweet memory that made me smile. It looks fabulous and I know it was a fantastic dish. From the creamy cheese to the panko topping it’s so appealing. Great dish Karen!
Wow, what a treat!
Amalia
xo
Whoa, it’s dishes like this that make me wish I wasn’t in landlocked Indiana! What a creamy, delicious, indulgent treat!
How deliciously decadent! I’ve never had lobster mac and cheese and want to try it soon. I saw lobster tails on sale recently and now wish I would have bought some!
Lobster mac and cheese is such an awesome treat. I have a super finicky thing with mac and cheese though … I like it fresh from the pot, all creamy and gooey, not baked. Go figure!
ah the timing of this post is perfect, Karen, as we were just talking about doing a ‘special lobster, mac and cheese’ for my daughter’s upcoming birthday! I just hope I can get my hands on some lobster! 🙂
This is a very cruel post. 🙂 Finding lobster here is nearly impossible which is sad because I love it! Having it in a mac & cheese sounds extremely decadent and looks delicious!
This is one of the ultimate comfort foods, Karen. It is hard to believe that, after having lived 10 years in Maine, I never once had lobster mac & cheese!
I have crab in the freezer and have been considering crab mac & cheese. Perfect timing, Karen!