Dinner

November 21, 2023

Crab Mac and Cheese

This is definitely an elevated mac and cheese dish that you bring out for a special occasIon. It’s lush, decadent, and comforting with a variety cheese and lump crab meat. Fancy Mac and Cheese or Millionaire’s Mac and Cheese as it’s referred to in my household.

This dish is also perfect for the pescatarian that might be skipping over the turkey at the Thanksgiving table.

Rich crab and velvety cheeses, yes please!

Note: If you can’t find crab, you can certainly use proscuitto, bacon, lobster, or just omit altogether as the Mac and cheese is good enough to stand on its own.

Crab Mac and Cheese

Author:

The Queenship

Prep:

20

min

cook:

40

min

total:

60

min

Ingredients

Toasted Breadcrumbs

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 c panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

Cheese Sauce

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp AP flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 c half and half
  • 2 c heavy cream
  • 1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 c gruyere cheese, grated
  • 1 c muenster cheese, grated
  • 1/2 c fresh mozzarella, cubed
  • 1 c cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1-1/4 c lump crab meat

Mac and Cheese

  • 1 lb cavatappi pasta, cooked according to manufacturer’s instructions
  • Cheese sauce
  • 1/2 c burrata, pulled apart into pieces
  • 1/2 c gruyere, grated
  • 1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/4 c lump crab meat
  • Toasted breadcrumbs

Equipment Needed

  • dutch oven
  • skillet
  • 9x12 casserole dish
  • grater
  • wooden spoon
  • whisk
  • cutting board
  • knife

Instructions

Pasta

  1. Cook cavatappi pasta according to manufacturer’s instructions and set aside.

Cheese Sauce

  1. Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat.
  2. Melt butter, add crushed garlic, and stir until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Stir in flour, salt, and ground mustard.
  4. Gradually whisk in half and half and heavy cream.
  5. Bring to simmer.
  6. Turn off heat and add: parmesan, gruyere, muenster, mozarella, and cheddar cheeses.
  7. Stir until the cheeses are mostly melted.
  8. Stir in jumbo lump crab meat.
  9. Set cheese sauce aside.

Toasted Breadcrumbs

  1. In a small skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium high heat.
  2. Stir in panko breadcrumbs and cook until starts to brown. A few minutes should suffice.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.

Crab Mac and Cheese:

  1. Add cavatappi pasta to casserole dish.
  2. Add in burrata, gruyere, and cheddar cheeses.
  3. Stir in cheese sauce.
  4. Top with lump crab meat.
  5. Cover with toasted breadcrumbs.
  6. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
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