Recipe of the Week: Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese

photo courtesy of Nap Time is My Time

Lobster mac 'n' cheese? Yes please! Emily from Nap Time is My Time shows us how to make this easy, breezy recipe that brings a little class to a no-frills classic.

Ingredients:
1 box of your favorite short pasta, such as shells or elbows
1/2 – 3/4 pound lobster meat
3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

How to Make It:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" x 8" pan with non-stick spray or butter.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente.
3. While your pasta is cooking, combine the milk, sour cream, egg and butter in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4. Drain your pasta but do not rinse. Rinsing the pasta will remove the starches that help your sauces stick.
5.  Return pasta to pot. Add butter and stir until butter is melted. Add shredded cheeses. Stir until combined.
6. Add your milk mixture to the cheesy macaroni pot. Stir until well combined.
7. Add half of your lobster to the pot. Stir well.  Transfer to baking dish. Top with remaining lobster and panko breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Tips from Emily:
1. Purchase the lobster from your seafood market already cooked.  It’s a bit of a splurge, but much tastier than imitation lobster meat.
2. Trader Joe’s sells Swiss and Gruyere shredded together in a bag for $4.99.  The cost for this is cheaper than buying the two individually and shredding it yourself.
3. If you want to cut down on fat,  use a fat-free version of either sour cream or milk, not both. Macaroni and cheese needs some fat to help it stick together.  Nothing is worse than runny or clumpy mac and cheese!


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