Emeril's Seafood Mac and Cheese
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- Prep Time 30 minutes
- Total Time 55 minutes
- Yield Serves 8
Ingredients
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster, shrimp, crawfish, or crabmeat, or a combination
- 4 cups (1 pound) mixed grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, and fontina
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Creole Seasoning
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 2 minutes less than al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water. Set aside.
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While pasta is cooking, 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 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg.
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Remove pan from heat. Fold in seafood, macaroni, and cheese; transfer to a shallow 4-quart baking dish. To bowl with reserved melted butter, add breadcrumbs and Creole seasoning; toss, and scatter over macaroni mixture. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Cook's Note
A touch of Creole seasoning (a blend of spices like garlic powder, paprika, and thyme) adds oomph. Store-bought can substitute for Emeril's recipe.
This was DELICIOUS! I made this last night for the two of us, I cut the recipe in half and we had enough for dinner last night and two lunches today! I used Pecorino-Romano, Parmesan and a little mozzarella instead of the cheeses listed (used what we had) and it turned out great. The panko topping is excellent so don't forget it!
i didn't have any seafood, so i only used cheese and it was awesome as well.
Soooo good! Blogged here:
http://macandcheeseproject.blogspot.com/2008/10/emerils-seafood-macaroni...
Lobster was on sale, so I just used that too and it was the best mac and cheese I've ever tasted. The recipe makes a lot, though, so invite your friends over.
Oh my!!! I made this with lobster and it was DIVINE! No one said a word during dinner. We just chewed and moaned, chewed and moaned,....