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Seafood Mac & Cheese
20 minute prep
This recipe provides the foundation for crafting a delicious Mac and Cheese, but don't be afraid to let your creativity shine! Experiment with additional ingredients to personalize your dish and discover your own signature family recipe. Share your culinary adventures with loved ones, and savor the joy of creating something truly special together. After all, the best recipes are the ones made with love and shared with those we cherish.
While cheddar remains a classic choice for Mac and Cheese, the cheese aisle is your playground! Any meltable cheese will do wonders in this dish, allowing you to tailor the flavor to your liking. For an extra punch of tanginess, consider adding crumbled blue cheese, though feel free to omit it if it's not your taste. Elevate the flavor profile further with Boursin Shallot and Chive cheese, or explore their other delicious varieties for a truly gourmet twist.
This recipe is great with snow crab meat, chopped steamed lobster meat, Jonah crab meat, or chopped sautéed shrimp. This recipe takes 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking.
Directions
- Prepare Seafood. If using Snow Crab: If using frozen snow crab meat, thaw it properly before use. For the ultimate taste, the best way to defrost crab meat is to place it in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, you can place the sealed crab meat package in cold water for quicker thawing
- Cook Pasta: Fill a large stock pot with water and place it over high heat. When the water boils, add in the salt and pasta and give it a good stir. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to stir it occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick.
- Make Cheese Sauce: Meanwhile prepare the sauce. In a large pan with high sides, large enough to hold all the cooked pasta, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the heavy cream and stir. Next add in the cheddar cheese, blue cheese, Boursin and occasionally stir until it all melts. Add in the 2 tablespoons of parsley and the nutmeg and give another good stir.
- Combine Pasta and Crab: Add the snow crab meat to the cheese sauce when the pasta is almost done cooking—and the black pepper and paprika. Mix everything until it is well combined, and the crab is fully incorporated into the cheesy sauce. Drain the pasta and add it to the crab cheese sauce when it is done. Fold it with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is well coated. Taste for salt and correct.
- You can serve the snow crab mac and cheese directly out of the pan, or you can broil it for a crispy top. Technically, you could broil it in the saucepan if it is the type that can go in the oven.
- (Optional) Bake/Broil: If you want to broil the mac and cheese, transfer the mac and cheese to individual ramekins or place all of it in a large casserole dish*. Cover the top with as much shredded cheddar as you would like and sprinkle it with parsley for garnish. Broil until golden and crispy, which takes about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 2 heaping cups of shredded CrabPlace.com snow crab meat, plus a few pieces for garnish (or use chopped steamed lobster meat, Jonah Crab meat, chopped sautéed Shrimp)
- 1 pound of Ziti pasta (or use whatever shape of pasta you like best)
- 1 tablespoon salt for the pasta water
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 heaping cups of grated cheddar cheese (double this if you like it super cheesy);
- plus a handful of cheese for broiling at the end
- 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled up (this cheese is optional as it adds a tangy flavor to the dish)
- 5 oz Boursin Shallot and Chive cheese, you can pick any flavoring of Boursin you like (double this if you like it super cheesy)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- Freshly grated nutmeg, or a pinch of ground nutmeg (this has a nice flavor and is worth it!)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked Paprika
- Salt for taste
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