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With jumbo lump crab meat, old bay seasoning, fontina cheese and cheddar cheese, this crab mac and cheese is for those special occasions.
You can never have enough mac and cheese recipes - from baked cheddar mac and cheese to smoked gouda bacon mac and cheese to baked butternut squash mac and cheese.
I'm always on the lookout to make a new version of one of my favorite dishes. And today I decided to pay homage to the stay I live in - Maryland. When you think Maryland, you think of crabs. From soft shell crabs to steam crabs to crab cakes.
What makes this dish so delicious is the jumbo lump crab meat. You don't go cheap here. You want those big chunks throughout. And the hint of Old Bay seasoning just brings out the seafood flavor.
The combination of the melty fontina and sharp cheddar work great and make this crab mac and cheese quite addicting.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - the base for the roux and browns the topping.
- Garlic - gives flavor to the topping.
- Panko breadcrumbs - crunchier than standard breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan cheese - adds nuttiness and saltiness.
- Old Bay - can't have seafood without it.
- All-purpose flour - helps make the roux to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Ground mustard and black pepper - added flavor.
- Milk - whole fat is best.
- Fontina and cheddar cheese - adds creaminess and flavor.
- Crab meat - jumbo lump is best.
- Macaroni - can't have macaroni and cheese without it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoon butter in small pan over low heat. Once melted, add panko, garlic, ½ cup Parmesan and ¼ teaspoon Old Bay and toss to combine. Set aside.
- In large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt ½ cup butter. Stir in flour, remaining Old Bay, ground mustard and black pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until well combined.
- Gradually add milk and cook until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 10 minutes. You'll want to stir constantly. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.
- Remove sauce from heat and gradually add fontina, cheddar cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and the crab meat. Stir in until cheese is melted. Add pasta and mix until everything is coated.
- Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture.
- Put under broiler until the mixture bubbles and top is browned. Should be about 1 to 2 minutes. You can't leave unattended or it will burn. Remove from broiler and let the crab mac and cheese rest for 5 minutes.
FAQs
The sharp cheddar is where a lot of the flavor comes from and the fontina adds extra creaminess. The Parmesan adds a slight nutty flavor. However you can also use Gruyère as well.
While you can use pre-shredded bagged cheese, you more than likely won't get that stringy, gooey cheese pull that you would get if you grated the cheese yourself. It also doesn't taste as good.
I like the extra crunch here but you can also use a cheese topping. Just grate an extra cup of cheese.
Yes. Just prepare all the way to where the macaroni is in the baking dish. Cool before topping with the breadcrumb topping. Then refrigerate or freeze before baking the day you need it.
Just let your mac and cheese cool to room temperature before covering in airtight container or with aluminum foil. It will last in the fridge for about 3 days or the freezer for 3 months.
Place the macaroni & cheese into an oven-safe dish and only take out what you are using. Add 1 tablespoon of milk per 1 cup of baked mac and cheese and mix to incorporate. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- No overcooked pasta – cook the macaroni al dente according to the package instructions. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven while it’s in the sauce.
- Freshly grated cheese – don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- Stir constantly – once the milk is added, you must stir constantly as it heats up and becomes thick. Otherwise you’ll have burnt milk on the bottom.
- Lots of sauce – who likes a dry mac and cheese? At first when making this mac and cheese, you’ll think it is too much sauce but believe me when that the macaroni soaks it up.
- Broil topping – only broil topping for 1-2 minutes so it gets browned and doesn't overcook the pasta.
Other Seafood Recipes
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Crab Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, divided
- 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups milk
- 3 cups shredded fontina cheese (¾ lb)
- 3 cups shredded white sharp cheddar (¾ lb)
- 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 lb macaroni
Instructions
- To make breadcrumb topping, melt 2 tablespoon butter in small pan over low heat. Once melted, add panko, garlic, ½ cup Parmesan and ¼ teaspoon Old Bay and toss to combine. Set aside.
- In large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt ½ cup butter. Stir in flour, remaining Old Bay, ground mustard and black pepper. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until well combined. Gradually add milk and cook until the mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 10 minutes. You'll want to stir constantly.
- While making sauce, cook macaroni according to package and set aside.
- Remove sauce from heat and gradually add fontina, cheddar cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and the crab meat. Stir in until cheese is melted. Add pasta and mix until everything is coated. Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture.
- Put under broiler until the mixture bubbles and top is browned. Should be about 1 to 2 minutes. You can't leave unattended or it will burn. Remove from broiler and let rest for 5 minutes.
Notes
- No overcooked pasta – cook the macaroni al dente according to the package instructions. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven while it’s in the sauce.
- Freshly grated cheese – don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- Stir constantly – once the milk is added, you must stir constantly as it heats up and becomes thick. Otherwise you’ll have burnt milk on the bottom.
- Lots of sauce – who likes a dry mac and cheese? At first when making this macaroni and cheese, you’ll think it is too much sauce but believe me when that the macaroni soaks it up.
- Broil topping – only broil topping for 1-2 minutes so it gets browned and doesn't overcook the pasta.
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