Elevate your favorite comfort food with this delicious seafood mac and cheese recipe. Made with shrimp and lobster, the sauce is made with three types of cheeses for a tasty bite full of flavor.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
Everyone loves mac and cheese; there's never a bad time for it! When it's homemade and made from scratch, it's one of my favorite things, and when it's loaded with shrimp and lobster, you have to hold me back!
This seafood mac and cheese is simple to make, and the good news is, it only takes a couple of extra minutes to whip up. The sauce is so creamy and cheesy, and made with cheddar, gouda, and gruyere. I know you are going to love this as much as we did!
Be sure to try my Air Fryer Mac and Cheese and Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese too!
How to make seafood mac and cheese
Gather your ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the box, about 8 minutes for al dente noodles. Remove the noodles with a spider strainer and set aside.
Add shrimp and lobster to the boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes, until lobster and shrimp are cooked through. Remove from water with a spider strainer. Set aside.
Remove the lobster meat from the shell.
Combine milk and heavy cream in a large measuring cup or glass. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of cheddar, ½ cup of Gruyère, and ¼ cup of smoked Gouda. Set aside.
In a separate medium-sized pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour in the pot and whisk for 1-2 minutes, until the flour smells toasty. Slowly whisk in the milk/cream mixture. And seasonings, and allow to simmer until thickened, whisking often. This should take about 5 minutes.
The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved cheese.
In a large bowl, add shrimp and noodles. Pour cheese mixture over noodles and stir to combine.
Pour mixture in a 9x11 pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
For an extra-crisp topping, place the oven on broil for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese on top has browned. Serve and enjoy.
What's the best pasta to use?
I made this seafood mac and cheese with cavatappi pasta (also known as spirali), it's corkscrew shape collects all of that delicious cheese sauce. You can use other short pastas, such as macaroni, fusilli, or penne. Use gluten-free pasta if you have an allergy; this recipe will also work well with whole wheat pasta.
Can you make it ahead of time?
This recipe yields enough for eight servings, and the good news is that the leftovers are just as delicious! Let the pasta cool before covering and refrigerating, and it will keep well for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or till warmed through.
If you would like to prep the mac and cheese, make the recipe as instructed but allow the cheese mixture to cool slightly before adding it to the pasta. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
Can you use frozen seafood?
I prefer to use defrosted lobster and shrimp. Thaw thoroughly before adding them to the water to cook for the best texture and flavor.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so you don't want to overcook it, or it will be pretty mushy.
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted water so you add flavor right at the beginning.
- Use freshly grated cheese instead of pre-grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese often has a coating that makes it harder for the cheese to melt.
- For a crispy topping, sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs over the top before adding the shredded cheese.
- If you prefer an alternative cooking method for the seafood in this recipe, try using an air fryer. My air fryer lobster tails are the perfect way to prep for this recipe.
More Pasta Recipes
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz cavatappi pasta
- ½ lb shrimp peeled, deveined
- 4 2-3 oz lobster tails
- 8 Tablespoon butter
- 8 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cheddar cheese separated
- 1 cup gruyere cheese separated
- ½ cup smoked gouda cheese separated
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook according to directions on the box, about 8 minutes for al-dente noodles. Remove the noodles with a spider strainer and set aside.
- Add shrimp and lobster to the boiling water and boil for 3-4 minutes, until lobster and shrimp are cooked through. Remove from water with a spider strainer. Set aside.
- Combine milk and heavy cream in a large measuring cup or glass. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of cheddar, ½ cup of gruyere, and ¼ cup of the smoked gouda. Set aside.
- In a separate medium-sized pot, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour in the pot and whisk for 1-2 minutes, until the flour smells toasty. Slowly whisk in milk/cream mixture. And seasonings and allow to simmer until thickened, whisking often. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the cheese you set aside.
- In a large bowl, add shrimp and noodles. Pour cheese mixture over noodles and stir to combine.
- Pour mixture in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
- For an extra crisp topping, place the oven on broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese on top has browned. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Cook the pasta al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so you don't want to overcook it or it will be pretty mushy.
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted water so you add flavor right at the beginning.
- Use freshly grated cheese rather than pre-grated. Pre-grated often has a coating which makes it harder for the cheese to melt.
- For a crispy topping, you can sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs over the top before you add the shredded cheese.
