A Muse in My Kitchen
Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese
So while you were chowing down on wings, pizza and pulled pork sandwiches yesterday – we took a different approach to Superbowl Sunday.
I don’t like to do what everyone else is doing and our Superbowl celebration is quite subdued compared to everyone else…in that, I’m not into it.
Yes, I watch the commercials and loved halftime!
But once 9:00 p.m. rolled around, HE found another TV and I was knitting and watching Downton Abbey.
We decided to devour our calories with a carb-heavy, cheese loaded meal with the addition of LOBSTER! I’ll take that over chicken wings any day. I had a few lobster tails left over in the freezer from the holidays and while Hubby was requesting Lobster Corn Chowder – I reminded him we don’t have fresh corn in February so I’m going to make Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese.
He didn’t object…and the compliments were all the same.
In the spirit of the Superbowl being held in New Orleans (and that we will be there next month!) – I followed Emeril Lagasse’s recipe – with a few tweaks of my own.
I started with four lobster tails, cut up the center with scissors and cleaned.
Yes, they’re ugly…I just close my eyes and do what I got to do to get to the end result. It doesn’t help when you’re daughter is in the background making noises either!
I poach them in salted water for about 4-5 minutes until the meat is white and tender.
Once cooled, I pull that sweet white meat from the shell and chop into bite size pieces.
In the meantime, I prepare a roux of butter and flour – adding chopped onions and garlic for added flavor.
I went crazy with cheese! Admittedly, I don’t eat cheese regularly – and I’m talking REAL cheese (not that lowfat shredded stuff) but when I do – why not go crazy?
Here we have shredded extra sharp cheddar, Jarlsburg and Gouda. You can use whatever you have in the frig – I like the softer white cheeses that compliment the sweetness of the lobster.
Combine sauce, lobster and pasta.
I like using the rotini pasta for this dish as those little twists and turns are great places for the sauce to hide in!
Top with buttered Panko bread crumbs and a bit of Creole seasoning.
Bake…
Indulge!
What I was making a year ago: STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS (My Mother’s Recipe)
- ½ pound pasta (gemelli, rotini, elbow noodles)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ garlic clove, minced
- 3 tbs. cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1½ cups lowfat milk
- Dash ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground mustard
- ¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce
- 1 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster (OR shrimp, crawfish, or crabmeat)
- 2 cups mixed grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, and fontina
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon Creole Seasoning
- Preheat oven to 400.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 2 minutes less than al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water.
- Set aside.
- Melt butter over medium in a large saucepan.
- Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a medium bowl, and reserve.
- Add onion and garlic to pan; cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Add milk; whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Season with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, nutmeg, mustard and Tabasco sauce.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Fold in seafood, pasta, and cheese; transfer to a 8 x 8 sprayed baking dish.
- To bowl with reserved melted butter, add breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning; toss, and scatter over macaroni mixture.
- Bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
