This seafood mac and cheese is loaded with lump crab meat, shrimp, gruyere cheese, and cheddar cheese. Super cheesy, creamy, and packed with all the right flavors! Enjoy this with honey butter fried chicken and roasted parmesan brussel sprouts for the ultimate meal!
I am obsessed with macaroni and cheese. Whether it has a cheesy crust, a bread crumb topping, or just plain and creamy. It doesn’t make a difference, if it involves pasta and cheese sauce, I’m all for it. The inspiration for this seafood mac and cheese came from this delicious 4 cheese mac and cheese. Is this an easy recipe? You betcha! Super easy, delicious, and will feed a crowd!
Ingredients
- Pipette Pasta – feel free to use elbow macaroni, rigatoni, shells, or any type of short pasta you have on hand.
- Whole Milk
- Butter – unsalted butter works too but I prefer salted butter.
- All Purpose Flour
- Dijon Mustard – optional
- Gruyere Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese
- Shrimp – peeled and deveined
- Crab – lump crab meat
- Lemon Zest
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper
Top Tips For The Perfect Seafood Mac and Cheese
- Stir the bechamel sauce frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Use good quality crab meat and raw shrimp.
- Season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Use cold milk for the roux, to prevent any lumps.
- Cook the pasta al dente, it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Use block cheese and shred it yourself.
What Kind of Cheese Should I Use?
Although I highly recommend using sharp cheddar and gruyere, feel free to use any type of block cheese. Gouda, Pepper Jack Cheese, or even American cheese would work for this recipe. As long as you use good quality cheese and good quality seafood, this recipe should turn out amazing!
What Kind of Seafood Should I Use?
I highly recommend using any type of seafood you love. For instance, I used lump crab meat and shrimp but feel free to use lobster and scallops instead.
More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
- Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb pipette pasta or any type of short pasta
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb lump crab meat
- 1/8 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp old bay seasoning
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season the shrimp and crab with 1 tsp old bay seasoning and lemon zest.
- Melt the butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the milk and cook for 20-30 minutes stirring frequently.
- Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. Add the dijon mustard, 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the pasta and shrimp and crab mixture gently. Add the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 22 minutes and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Stir the bechamel sauce frequently so the bottom doesn't burn.
- Use good quality crab meat and raw shrimp.
- Season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Use cold milk for the roux, to prevent any lumps.
- Cook the pasta al dente, it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Use block cheese and shred it yourself.
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