This lobster mac and cheese is ultra creamy macaroni with two types of cheese and plenty of chunks of lobster meat, all baked together to golden brown perfection. A rich and decadent main course or side dish that’s sure to get rave reviews!
You can never go wrong with mac and cheese, especially if it’s slow cooker mac and cheese or jalapeno popper mac and cheese. That being said, lobster mac and cheese is the best I’ve ever had, and it’s easy to make too!
Mac and cheese is pretty great on its own, but when you add lobster to the mix, you end up with something spectacular. I love to make lobster mac and cheese for special occasions – it’s become a family favorite and my kids always request it on their birthday!
If you are in the mood for lobster, try some other great lobster dinner recipes like lobster salad, grilled lobster tail, lobster rolls and my very popular seafood boil that features, you guessed it, lobster!
Table of Contents
Lobster Mac And Cheese Ingredients
To make this delicious mac and cheese you will need butter, all purpose flour, water, milk, pasta, salt, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, lobster meat, panko breadcrumbs, chives and seasonings.
How Do You Make Lobster Mac and Cheese?
This recipe starts with a base of flour, butter, milk and water which cooks into a thin sauce. Pasta goes into the pot along with seasonings, and everything simmers together. The next step is to add a generous amount of the shredded cheeses. Finally, add the lobster into the mix. Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish, top it with breadcrumbs, then bake it until golden brown. Add a sprinkle of chives and dinner is served!
Tips For Lobster Mac And Cheese
- I recommend shredding your own cheese. The pre-shredded bags of cheese can have anti caking agents that prevent the cheese from melting well.
- Leftovers of this dish will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. I do not recommend freezing this dish because it will not freeze well.
- You can use other short pastas. Simply adjust the cooking time to the amount of time stated in the package instructions. If you use a larger pasta you may need to add more milk.
Quick Tip
Make sure you have cooked and chopped lobster meat before you start this recipe. The lobster can be chilled before it goes into the mac and cheese.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend reheating lobster mac and cheese in a low heat oven (about 300 degrees) for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Cheddar cheese is my favorite choice for macaroni and cheese. It’s flavorful, melts great and gives the mac and cheese its traditional orange color. Make sure to use a mild, medium or sharp cheddar cheese and not an extra sharp or aged cheddar cheese. The aged cheeses can separate when melted and you won’t get a smooth and silky sauce. For this recipe, I’ve also added some mozzarella cheese because I love the creamy flavor it adds to this dish.
Lobster mac and cheese is popular because it takes the comfort food classic dish of mac and cheese and adds the decadence of fresh chunks of sweet lobster meat. You can’t go wrong with combining these two great flavors.
I like to broil lobster tails to get my chopped lobster meat for lobster mac and cheese. Brush the tails with butter and sprinkle them with salt and pepper, then broil them for about 12 minutes until the meat is opaque. There are many varieties of lobster, and it doesn’t really matter which one you use in this dish. Need more guidance? Check out my complete guide on how to cook a lobster.
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Lobster Macaroni And Cheese Variations
While I typically prepare this recipe as written, sometimes I use different ingredients for a whole new flavor.
- Protein: I turn this into seafood mac and cheese by using a combination of shrimp and lobster. I also have an amazing crab mac and cheese recipe.
- Cheeses: While cheddar is classic in mac and cheese, you can also use fontina, Monterey Jack or even a soft cheese like a garlic and herb Boursin.
- Herbs: I love the flavor of the chives in this dish, but you can also use parsley, green onions or even fresh chopped dill.
Once you try this dish, you’ll never look at macaroni and cheese the same way again! The sweet lobster meat pairs perfectly with the creamy pasta and the crunchy breadcrumb topping is the perfect finish.
More Seafood Recipes You’ll Love
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Shrimp Salad Recipe
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Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided use
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 4 cups milk I use whole milk
- 1 pound corkscrew pasta uncooked, such as cavatappi or cellentani
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked lobster meat plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chives thinly sliced
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour, then whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the water and whisk until smooth and just thickened.
- Add the milk and whisk until combined.
- Stir in the pasta, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and pepper, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done.
- Turn the heat to low, then stir in the cheeses. Keep stirring until the sauce is smooth.
- Fold in the lobster meat. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and stir it into the panko breadcrumbs.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the pasta. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
- Sprinkle with chives and garnish with addition chunks of lobster if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I recommend shredding your own cheese. The pre-shredded bags of cheese can have anti caking agents that prevent the cheese from melting well.
- You can use other short pastas. Simply adjust the cooking time to the amount of time stated in the package instructions. If you use a larger pasta you may need to add more milk.
- Make sure you have cooked and chopped lobster meat before you start this recipe. The lobster can be chilled before it goes into the mac and cheese.
Would it be ok to use regular macaroni?
Yes but the pasta may need less time to cook since macaroni noodles are smaller than the corkscrew pasta.
I just left a really long message but my battery died and now I must start over. I don’t know what on earth I did wrong. 😳. I have been cooking for about a hundred years and even had my own restaurant . I was taken aback when I saw how much liquid was used. 🤨I followed the recipe reluctantly and sure enough when it was done it looked like soup. We used a slotted spoon to spoon it into the baking dish so there was not so much liquid.It was pretty good but at this point it was pretty mushy. The lobster and the cheese were the highlights of the dish. I definitely would like to try it again if I can find out what I did wrong. I read the recipe over and over as I was making it because I thought I must be missing something🤨please save my sanity and keep me from making Mac and cheese soup😊❤️🌈
Did you pre-cook the pasta perhaps? This recipe is meant to be made with uncooked pasta.
I followed the recipe to the letter. I’m thinking I will never know what happened since all the reviews were so positive. I wish I knew what happened because it looked so delicious . I would like to try it again but I hate to waste the lobster if it doesn’t turn out😢
Made this tonight for dinner…everyone loved it! My husband declared, I think this is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had…I agreed completely…FANTASTIC!
I used the same water I cooked the lobster tails in to cook the pasta (after straining the water first), to build the lobster flavour in the dish!
once i put it all into baking dish, can i let it sit for an hour before baking?
if guests are there and i want to prep before.
That should be fine!
I’m going to make this for Valentine’s Day dinner! How many lobster tails would you say 1 1/2 cups is?
It should be about 3 5-6 ounce tails!
Very good and easy to make. How long can it last in the fridge?
It’s good for 2 days, so glad you enjoyed it!
I love how SUPER simple this recipe was. Not only did it save time not having to make the pasta first and then the sauce but the end result was amazing. I followed the recipe as is except for 2 things: 1) I subbed imitation lobster (possibly a mistake – we’ll try with steamed lobster next time, but just didn’t have time for that the other night when we had this – I do think it will add to the decadence of the dish though) and 2) I put an extra cup of lobster in the mix because our family really loves it. It came out great though I think I needed to chop the lobster cubes down more before adding them into the mac n cheese. Regardless, the family was all big fans of the meal and we’ll definitely be making it again!
I made this last night. I am gluten intolerant so used gluten free baking mix instead of flour and it came out great. I boiled the macaroni first and then eliminated the water and just added 2 cups milk. I also used packaged lobster faux meat. It came out great!! Thanks. (I also eliminated the bread crumbs because I didn’t have any gf handy.)
This lobster mac and cheese looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Oh wow, this looks so creamy and incredibly delicious!! YUM!!
This is incredible! I think this is going to be our new special occasion dinner!
This was amazing! Though next time I’m going to have to make a separate batch and hide it from my kids.:)
We had this at a restaurant a couple of years ago – I look forward to making my own at home!
We love a good mac and cheese but this was exceptional with the lobster! the whole family loved it!
It’s been a while since I made anything using lobster, so this looks like a great option to plan for! Really like how comforting this dish is – perfect for the colder weather!
Oooh what a way to kick up mac n cheese! This sounds and looks fantastic…just made mac n cheese tonight too! Next time I’m going to try it with lobster!
What a delicious and good looking recipe. It sounds so hearty and filling.
I love the combo of lobster and mac and cheese! A winner!
You got me at ultra-creamy and lobster. This is a seriously delicious meal. Thanks for sharing.