Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese

Pan of cooked lobster mac and cheese on blue pot holder with wooden spoon.

4.84 from 6 votes

Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese is luxuriously creamy and delicious! Fancy dinner to impress guests, serves 4ish people. PERFECT Valentine's Dinner idea!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 836kcal

Author: Sara Syphus Smith

Equipment

2 medium saucepans
1 Large frying pan or pot, if planning to transfer to casserole dish to bake.
1 casserole dish optional

Ingredients

8 oz macaroni noodles
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 small raw lobster tails (or 1 large 8-10 oz tail)
4 Tablespoons salted butter salted
1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups whole milk
¼ cup sour cream
2 cups Havarti cheese (6 oz) NOT pre-shredded
2 cups colby jack cheese, grated (6 oz) NOT pre-shredded
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (1.5 oz) Not pre-shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Bring two medium-sized pots of salted water to a boil.
In one, cook noodles for 7 to 8 minutes, until tender. Drain and toss with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Cover and set aside.
8 oz macaroni noodles, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
In the other pot, cook lobster tails for 3-4 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145° F. Drain and let cool before separating meat from both tails, then dice into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
2 small raw lobster tails
In a large oven-safe frying pan (or a pot if using a casserole dish to bake) melt butter over medium heat, and add minced garlic. Cook about 1 minute until fragrant, then add flour, salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, and onion powder. Stir and cook for another minute.
4 Tablespoons salted butter, 1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic, ¼ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon onion powder
Slowly pour milk into the flour mixture, whisking at the same time to prevent clumping until all the milk is added.
Add sour cream and stir. Continue whisking and heating the sauce until smooth and slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
3 cups whole milk, ¼ cup sour cream
Remove from heat. Add in half of the colby jack and half of havarti cheese, then stir until melted.
2 cups Havarti cheese, 2 cups colby jack cheese, grated
Add in the cooked noodles and lobster meat and mix together.
If your frying pan is oven safe, proceed to sprinkle the last half of havarti and of colby jack cheeses with the parmesan on top of the noodles and sauce.
If using a pot, transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish before sprinkling the cheeses on top.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheeses are melted and bubbly around the edge.
Serve warm. Garnish with fresh sprigs of thyme optionally.
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Notes

Sara’s Tips:

Don't use pre-shredded cheese! It can ruin the sauce and make it grainy because of the anti-caking agents and additives in it. Using block cheese and grating it fresh is best.
To make ahead, make the recipe as directed, but do not bake in the oven. Let cool and cover, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 ℉ until bubbly and heated through.
Don’t put a cold glass/stoneware pan in a hot oven! It can shatter. Rest the pan on the counter as the oven preheats for 10-15 minutes, or in the oven as it preheat and monitor so it doesn’t overbake.

Freezing: Cook the noodles to al dente (still firm) instead of soft if you plan to freeze, and make the recipe as directed. Let cool, then transfer to a freezer safe, air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, then bake for 35-45 minutes @ 350 ℉ until heated through and bubbly.

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