Creamy Lobster Mac and Cheese

This Easy Lobster Macaroni and Cheese recipe is the best homemade side dish for any spread. This dish is made with a delicious cheese sauce, tender lobster, and baked to perfection for the ultimate crispy topping. 

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.

Gourmet meals from your favorite steakhouses like Ruth Chris and Capital Grille, just got easier with this recipe!

What Type of Cheese to Use

You can use whatever you like. Mix and match whatever you like and it’s likely to be a hit. You will definitely want cheddar cheese, I typically use sharp. I also used Parmesan Reggiano and fontina (because it’s so soft!).

Here are more examples of cheese you can use:

• White Cheddar
• Mozzarella (Great if you want a cheese pull to the dish)
• Gouda
• Romano
• Muenster

Always purchase your cheese in block form and shred or grate it yourself. You can also use a food processor. Pre-shredded cheese has preservatives and potato starch to keep it from going bad quickly. These additives don’t melt nicely and the dish won’t be as creamy. Grate your own cheese. It makes a huge difference.

The longer cheese is aged naturally, the sharper and more pronounced the Cheddar flavor becomes. Mild Cheddar cheese is generally aged for 2 to 3 months, whereas an extra sharp might be aged for as long as a year.

Mild cheddar has a creamy, subtle taste.
Medium cheddar has a little more flavor in comparison to mild, but it lacks the distinct bite found in sharp cheddar.
Sharp cheddar has a distinct and prominent flavor.
Extra sharp cheddar has a very pronounced and sharp taste. (I typically don’t cook with it and use it for wine pairings and Charcuterie Cheese Boards.)

Taking all of this into account, sharp is typically my go-to for mac and cheese.

What Type of Lobster to Use

I like to keep things simple so I use pre-cracked wild-caught lobster claw and knuckle meat from Butcher Box. It’s usually only available as an add-on item. It comes in 8oz packages, and I use 2 for this recipe to really load up on the lobster flavor. Their lobster is sustainably harvested from cold waters.

Crowd Cow is another option for cold cracked lobster. You can check them out here.

You can also use lobster tails. In general, when purchasing lobster, always look for cold water lobster. It usually comes from the East Coast or Canada. Maine lobster tails are a big deal because the water is so cold there.

Cold water lobsters are larger than warm water lobsters and have more meat. Because they live in cold temperatures their meat gets a lot firmer than those from warm water, which will produce tender meat when properly cooked. Warm water lobster is often mushy with a fishy taste, and sometimes has an ammonia smell.

While shopping, if the display isn’t clear, you should always ask if it’s from warm or cold water. If they don’t know, I would assume the worst and try elsewhere. Cold water is more expensive. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for and quality comes at a price.

I also look for wild-caught, which can sometimes be harder to find outside of specialty stores like Sprouts or even Whole Foods (which is why I order from Butcher Box).

How to Cook the Lobster

My favorite way to prepare it, is to saute it in a pan for a few minutes with melted butter and Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay is a staple that my family has used for years because it’s perfect for shellfish like crab and lobster, but you can use whatever seasoning you like. If you’re using knuckle meat, definitely prepare it this way.

If using tails, you can boil or bake them.

Boil them in a large pot of water for 8-12 minutes.

To bake them, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butterfly the tails. Use kitchen shears and slice the tail vertically to reveal the meat. You can read more about How to Butterfly Lobster here and in my Air Fryer Lobster Tails and Smoked Lobster Tail recipes. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

The meat should be firm and opaque when done.

What Type of Pasta to Use

Elbow macaroni is typically used. I used the elbows from Trader Joe’s in these photos and it’s thicker than standard elbows and I loved that about it.

I also typically use cellentani. It has a corkscrew shape and a ridged surface which works great in a dish like this.

How to Make the Cheese Sauce

One of the most important parts of this dish is the cheese sauce. A great cheese sauce starts with a roux. A roux is a combination of butter and flour. It’s used to thicken the sauce and to help bind the dish.

From there you will add milk and heavy whipping cream, along with cheese. You will also need to season it with onion powder, salt, and pepper. This is important because the cheese sauce is a source of flavor for the dish.

How to Make Lobster Mac and Cheese

Detailed serving sizes and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot in accordance with the instructions on the package.
2. Heat a skillet or saucepan add in butter, lobster, and Old Bay Seasoning.
3. Cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
4. Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and allow it to melt.
5. Once melted, add flour and whisk.
6. Add milk and heavy whipping cream and stir.
7. Add shredded cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
8. Add onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
9. Return the pasta to the large pot. Drizzle the liquid mixture over the pasta and stir until fully combined. Add in the cooked lobster and the butter sauce the lobster was cooked in.
10. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
11. Begin to layer in the pasta. Start with the pasta and lobster, then add a layer of all of the shredded cheese.
12. Bake.

What Type of Baking Dish to Use

I often use a 9×13 rectangular dish. Sometimes I will opt for an 8×8 dish, as used in the photos here. With an 8×8 dish, you will really pile in the ingredients and as it bakes, the sides will bubble and ooze over. This provides a dramatic effect (that looks great), but isn’t necessary. I bake the dish on a sheet pan to prevent liquid from oozing into the oven.

For baking dishes, I often prefer ceramic to glass. A ceramic dish will regulate heat better. When I use glass, the top of the mac and cheese, typically dries out quickly.

You can also bake the dish in cast iron.

Substitutions and Additional Add-In Ideas

• Bacon
• Chicken
• Shrimp
• Caramelized Onions
• Crab

Can You Make it Ahead

If you’re making this for a crowd, I wouldn’t make it ahead. This is a dish that’s best served fresh while the cheese is still soft and gooey. After making it, I leave it in the oven on warm and covered in foil.

I also wouldn’t prep it in advance. This will ruin the texture of the cheese.

How to Store It

You can store leftovers in the fridge, tightly covered for 3-4 days.

How to Reheat it

The best way to reheat it is in the air fryer on 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes or until warm. You can also use the oven at the same temperature. Heat until warm. You can use the microwave, but it doesn’t result in the best texture in my opinion.

Freezer Tips

I enjoy freezing my leftovers and I reheat them in the air fryer (after defrosting in the fridge overnight first). When you reheat frozen dishes with dairy, there’s almost always some separation. If this bothers you, you may not enjoy freezing this recipe.

What to Serve and Pair With This Dish

Southern Style Green Beans
Smothered Turkey Wings
Baked Crab Legs
Southern Baked Ham With Pineapple
Southern Mustard Greens
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans
Okra and Tomatoes
Instant Pot Cabbage
Southern Potato Salad
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Stuffed Turkey Legs
Shrimp Crab Quiche
Creamy Lobster Bisque Soup
Seafood Pot Pie

Pair With Cornbread

Southern Cornbread Dressing
Southern Homemade Classic Cornbread
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Air Fryer Cornbread
Honey Cornbread
Homemade Blueberry Cornbread
Cornbread Muffins

More Mac and Cheese and Pasta Recipes

Southern Style Soul Food Baked Mac and Cheese
Smoked Mac and Cheese
Bacon and Gouda Mac and Cheese
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Chili Mac and Cheese
Seafood Stuffed Pasta Shells
Southern Chicken Spaghetti
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Spaghetti with Sausage