Ina Garten's Lobster Mac and Cheese

For Valentine's Day this year, make some Lobster Mac and Cheese. It is a fancy elegant dish to make for anyone that will easily impress. Serve it with some wine and cooked asparagus or broccoli on the side.

This recipe has been recently updated with new pictures on 1/12/21.

Lobster Mac and Cheese and Walleye are two of my favorite meals to order at restaurants. Yes, it is expensive but lobster is something that I don’t eat every day and it’s fun to enjoy every now and then. So treat yourself. Especially if you’re looking for something fancy to make for your loved ones.

I tried Ina Garten's lobster mac and cheese and it's a pretty basic mac and cheese recipe. You can change up the nutmeg to any other seasoning. I've done Cajun and smoked paprika before.

What Ingredients do I need? 

In this section, you can find substitutes or suggestions for certain ingredients. I also will try and list out what the ingredients' purpose is for. 

Cavatapi or Elbow Macaroni  - Cavatapi is my favorite noodle but any kind of round noodle will work 

Milk - Whole or 2% 

Butter   - unsalted 

Flour - All-purpose 

Gruyere and Cheddar Cheese - Ina uses white cheddar in the video but orange is also fine. She also grates the cheese herself. 

Nutmeg - freshly grated nutmeg or ground. If you don’t like nutmeg I think Cajun seasoning or old bay would be really good in this pasta. 

Lobster Meat - You will have to cook the lobster before adding it to the mac and cheese. 1 pound of lobster will take about 8 to 10 minutes in boiling water. You can also cook the pasta in the same water that the lobster was cooked for more flavor. 

How to Make Lobster Mac and Cheese 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and stir well. Place the mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Other Recipes To Try 

25 Recipes for the Slow Cooker 

Maple Bacon Corn Bread Muffins

Knock You Naked Brownies 

Sweet Potato and Sausage Hash 

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos 

Sour Cream Noodle Bake 

If you’ve tried this Lobster Mac and Cheese  or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. Snap a picture and upload it to Pinterest.

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