half & half

I have been determined to make lobster for this week’s Sprint Cup Snacks recipe for this weekend’s NASCAR race at Loudon International Raceway. in New Hampshire. Must have lobster when in New England. It’s a given! But my challenge was to make something that both Price and I would enjoy since he is pretty indifferent to lobster when I L-O-V-E it.

Often it works out well that Price is ‘meh’ about lobster and I love it (although I do feel super guilty about eating them now that I read the most amazing book called The Secret Life of Lobsters where I learned that our tasty ocean bug friends are at least 7 yrs old before gracing our dining tables…) since he will put them in the pot for me. I just can’t!

We typically do grilled steak and lobster… so I get the surf and he gets the turf… but I wanted to change things up so I had to go a searchin’ for something so mouth-watering that Price could not resist regardless of our royal red friend. Ultimately I found the best recipe… drum roll please… Lobster Mac and Cheese.

This was a very rich, luscious mac and cheese. Plus it was studded with lobster! If you don’t like lobster then skip it since the mac and cheese base is great anyway, but really, it is so worth it to add the lobster.

PS- I learned my local grocery store steams lobsters for you for Free!!! I highly suggest you check with your grocery store because it’s a total GAME CHANGER!

Lobster Mac And Cheese

Makes 4 generous  servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound cavatappi or campanelle pasta
• 1/2 pound lobster meat
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1  1/4 cups half & half
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup  shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
3. In a very large skillet, combine the butter and flour on medium low heat. Stirring constantly until the rue is golden brown. Add about half of the half & half to the mixture and stir to remove the lumps from the rue. Stir in half of the cheese. Once the cheese has melted into the sauce, add in the rest of the half & half, cheese, and the seasonings. Continue to work together until the sauce is evenly incorporated together.
4. Add the cooked pasta and chopped lobster into the cheese sauce and toss to combine.
5. Pour into a oven-safe casserole dish or 4 individual oven-safe baking dishes and then top with bread crumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Slightly adapted from Baked By Rachel