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.
Follow me
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
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
40 mins
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
15 mins
Baja Fish Tacos
30 mins
Shrimp Salad Recipe
13 mins
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.
Super dumb question. Is the pasta cooked before adding it with the other ingredients? Or it’s added dry?
It is added dry to the water and milk!
How many pounds is 11 1/2 im going to a smiths today and i need to let the butcher know
It’s 1 1/2 cups, which should be about 2 large lobster tails or 3 small/medium.
My husband (who is allergic to shellfish) made this for me for my birthday a few years back. I loved it so much, I use this recipe as my go to Mac and Cheese and just omit the seafood. I play with the cheese mix here and there but this recipe is delicious as is (with or without lobster)!
The family raved. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Hi how long does it take for the water with the flour to thicken?
It should just take about 2-3 minutes, it’s not supposed to be super thick at that point because the starch from the pasta will also thicken the sauce later.
Delicious. Made it with just cheddar cheese, other than that, followed the recipe .Cut it in half and my wife and I still got two nights out of it. Going to try it with shrimp next time.
Is there a make ahead option? Could it sit in the fridge for a day before adding the bread crumbs and baking it?
You can make it ahead but just be aware the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits, so it might be a bit drier as a result.
When do you add the cheese?
In step 7!
This was a HUGE HIT! We made this for part of our Christmas dinner and it was the favourite thing we had. I added sauteed onions and garlic and some dry mustard. Plus, since we were treating ourselves because we were home alone during the pandemic, I added crab legs and a can of crab. OUTSTANDING! I will use this as my basis for making mac & cheese in the future (without going overboard on the seafood). We do have leftovers but – not for long! Thank you for a wonderful recipe! I am sending it off to my relatives today so they know what they missed at our house.
What is it with dried mustard and Mac and cheese. Always better ! This is a great recipe and the idea of making it while cooking the pasta is genius!
Does using individual baking dishes alter this recipe? Also can you substitute seafood stock for the water?
Individual dishes should be fine. You can use seafood stock but then you’ll need to reduce the amount of salt you add to the recipe!
Do you use fresh mozzarella?
I use standard mozzarella not the fresh variety!
Substituted gluten free pasta and almond flour and adjusted the cook time by a few minutes….WOW! Outstanding dish, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Great tasting and having all the ingredients except lobster on hand it was quick and easy. Bravo
great recipe, I tried it!
I will try for my daughter ‘ birthday tomorrow . I will let you know . Thank you for your recipe .
Delicious! I love your time (and dirty pan) saving process of cooking the dry pasta with the sauce. For the water, I used the water I boiled the lobster tails in to get even more lobster flavor throughout. this recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Very good!!
Very good!! I played around with the seasonings and cheeses based on our taste preferences. This is so easy and the method is awesome. Thank you!
We are not “mac n cheese” lovers… but I’ve always heard a lot of people talk and order, ‘ lobster mac n cheese’ , I was also looking for a different side dish to make with our lobster tails. So I decided to give it a try. I am BEYOND happy I tried this recipe – it was great tasting, easy to do and easy to follow instructions. So thank you for this great recipe! To anyone reading the reviews to see if this recipe is worth trying??? LOOK NO FURTHER!!
I loved the automatic option of changing serving size…. BUT 🙁 the adjusted measurements were a little hard to follow.
Sorry if I missed it but do you cook the pasta first?
The pasta is cooked in with the milk and water!
Delish, I had to go one it several around the noodle cooking; have never seen them cooked as you do it before, But liked that step saver. Turned out excellently. I also added some chopped cooked bacon, which luckily did not detract from the lobster. Little in the way of leftovers speaks volumes…perhaps a small lunch left!
This is amazing !!! We tried Mac and cheese the first time at a restaurant…this was far better !!!! Thank you
so I want to make this tomorrow, if I can’t;t find fresh lobster can I use frozen lobster or imitation?
Thanks in advance.
Yes that’s fine!!
I never did eat mac & cheese, but I tried it with the lobster. Now, I LOVE LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE. I am gonna try this recipe, I just know I am gonna like it. I think I am gonna join a gym also, asI know I am gonna make this dish more than I should. Thanks…
I’ve been eyeing to make this recipe for so long and i’m finally gonna try to make it tomorrow. I’m so excited! Although i don’t think we’ll be able to finish it but ‘ll store it in our refrigerator so we can consume it at a later date. How long is the shelf life of this mac and cheese? Thank you!
I’d eat the leftovers within 48 hours!