My friend JJ and her family are in town this week visiting Maine and one of the things on her bucket list was to have a lobster dinner complete with fresh lobsters, corn on the cob and potatoes… you know, just like they do in the movies.
And well, the only way to get fresh lobsters in the summertime when you live on the coast of Maine is to naturally, hop on a boat and go to the docks and pick them out yourself. And so that’s what we did!
Buying lobster off the dock was quite an adventure…
Not only did we go home with a bunch of lobsters, but we also learned about the difference between soft shelled and hard shelled lobsters {hard-shell lobsters typically have about 20% more meat in proportion to total body weight than soft shell lobsters} and how to tell the difference between male and female lobsters as well {males grow larger claws and have narrower tails while the females have broader tails and feathery hairs on their feelers}.
How to Make Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe
But this recipe isn’t about the fresh lobster dinner we had {with the potatoes and corn on the cob}. Rather, it’s about the leftover lobster that someone {who shall not be mentioned} didn’t eat and so we stuck it in the fridge and the next morning as the cooked lobster was staring back at us, we decided to make lobster mac and cheese.
Because that’s what people do up here. They basically eat lobster for breakfast lunch and dinner. 24/7. Unless they’re me. Then they live off of beans and rice, pie, ice cream and tea. 🙂
This recipe though… it’s freakin’ awesome! Ask me how I know? Go on…
This recipe is awesome because it’s the same homemade mac and cheese recipe I’ve been making for like 18 years now and the only addition was lobster meat and changing the topping from bread crumbs to Ritz crackers.
Seriously, my husband ate half the pan in one sitting it was so good!
And it’s even better the next day for lunch, so if you’re looking for a lobster mac and cheese recipe… THIS IS THE ONE!
Mmm Mmm. Lobster mac and cheese.
Creamy goodness in every serving.
~Mavis
Print
Lobster Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
For The Topping:
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For The Lobster Mac and Cheese:
1 lb elbow macaroni pasta
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups milk
6 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped {about 2 good sized lobsters}
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Directions
For The Topping:
In a medium sized bowl toss the crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter until evenly coated and set aside.
For The Lobster Macaroni And Cheese:
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot, cook the pasta until tender, drain and set aside in a colander.
In a large saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the flour, mustard, and cayenne and whisk until smooth {about 1 minute}. Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly until the everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and continue to whisk until the sauce is nice and thick {about 3 minutes}.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stir in shredded cheese until fully melted. Fold in noodles and lobster.
Pour the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and cover with Ritz cracker topping.
Turn the oven on to broil and toast the buttered cracker topping until just browned. Serve warm.
Julie says
I have been reading yours and JJ’s blogs for years now, so it blew my mind this morning to open your post and find out you all are good friends.
Who else am I reading that are buddies? I suppose I’m required to say “small world” here.
Judy says
Hi there, I didn’t know that JJ had a blog. Could you tell me the name of it so I can follow it too. Thanks.
Julie says
Jennifer Murch is the blog name. She’s a wonderful writer.
Vivian says
And a wonderful cook!!
Mel says
Yum! We’re supposed to get our first corn of the season this week, so I’m eagerly awaiting that to make sheet pan shrimp boil. It’s one of our summer staples. I should probably use crab since we’re in MD, but we have frozen shrimp that needs to be used.
Mavis Butterfield says
Is the corn from your CSA or are you growing it?
Mel says
It’s from our CSA. I’ve never tried growing corn, but we have such heavy bug traffic that I’m nearly certain it wouldn’t work. We get it pretty regularly through our CSA though, so it works well.
Jennifer says
I want to know how much a lobster goes for fresh off the boat.
LauraArnett says
That’s what I was wondering too 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
$6 or $8 a pound depending on if they are soft or hard shell.
Diane says
Sorry this is off topic for this thread but I couldn’t find the original post — would you mind sharing which inflatable life jacket you have? Thanks!
Mavis Butterfield says
For boating – Mustang Survival HIT AUTO Inflatable PFD
For kayaking – Old Town Riverstream Universal Adult Kayak Life Jacket
For Lucy – FLOAT COAT™ DOG LIFE JACKET
Diane says
Thanks so much!
Cheryl says
That mac and cheese looks awesome!
I read your friend JJ’s blog too. It makes sense that you guys are good friends. You both seem like really nice people.
I hope you all had blueberry muffins with your lobster dinner!
Jenn From MA says
Hey I know that guy in the second picture 😉
Mavis Butterfield says
He was so nice… and accommodating to all our questions. And probably thought we were a bunch of nutters. 🙂