Grilled Lobster Mac and Cheese. Lobster Mac and Cheese is a classic way to elevate the humble macaroni (or cavatappi). However grilling lobster halves and serving them over individual skillets, makes this meal feel like a 5-star dining experience!
If the store that you buy your lobster at offers a service to steam or cook the lobster, take them up on it, just one less thing you need to worry about!
The combination of spicy salami, two quality cheeses and crispy panko on top, makes this mac & cheese a winner, even without the lobster! But trust me, it is so much better with the lobster!
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Ingredients
Mac and Cheese
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
- Cavatappi (or elbow macaroni)
- Milk
- Hot calabrese dry-cured salami
- Unsalted butter
- Clove of garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Gruyere cheese
- Extra-sharp cheddar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Panko breadcrumbs
Lobster
- Small lobster (10-12 ounces)
- Panko breadcrumbs mixture (reserved)
- Melted butter
- Lemon zest
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Clove of garlic
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
Preheat the Grill
Preheat the grill (or oven) to about 375°F with an area for indirect cooking.
Boil the Pasta
Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, until just al dente. Drain well.
Heat the Milk
While the pasta cooks, heat the milk in a small saucepan, (do not let it boil).
Cook the Salami
In a larger saucepan or skillet, cook the salami, over medium-low heat until it begins to crisp up 4-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the salami to a paper towel lined plate.
Finish the Mac & Cheese
Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the garlic to the salami grease, cook over low heat for 1 minute. Then add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk, ½ cup at a time. Cook for a couple of minutes more, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat, then add the Gruyere, cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Add the cooked macaroni, and salami and stir well. Place the mixture in 2 small skillets (or individual cast-iron dishes).
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, then combine the butter, panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon thyme. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the panko mixture for the lobster and sprinkle the rest on the top of the mac and cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes using indirect heat, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.
Prepare the Lobster
While the mac and cheese cooks, prepare the lobster by removing the small grey sac behind the head, plus the green tomalley (lobster’s liver) and discard.
Place 1 tablespoon of the reserved panko mixture into each half of the lobster filling the areas that you have just cleaned.
Mix together the butter, lemon zest & juice, garlic, and parsley. Set aside.
When the mac and cheese is just about done, place the lobster on the grill over medium heat, cut side down to char for a minute or two. Then turn the halves over and spread the butter mixture over the lobster and cook for 3-5 minutes until warmed through.
Serve and Enjoy
Serve each lobster half over a skillet of mac and cheese and dig in!
Equipment
Cooked in Hestan NanoBond 8.5” skillets, on the Hestan gas grill and served with Hestan Vineyards Chardonnay. Proud Hestan & Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.
Watch how this recipe was made here.
Leave a Comment
If you get the chance to try this Grilled Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe please drop back and leave us a comment and rating here. We would love to know what you think! Thanks Elaine & James 🙂
Grilled Lobster Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Mac & Cheese
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil
- ½ pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ounce hot calabrese dry-cured salami cut into a fine dice
- 4 tablespoons ½ stick unsalted butter, divided
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 ounces Gruyere cheese grated (2 cups)
- 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar grated (1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme leaves, divided
- 8 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs divided
Lobster
- 1 small lobster 10-12 ounces, cooked and divided in half, lengthwise.
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs mixture reserved
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped (plus more for serving)
Instructions
Preheat the Grill
- Preheat the grill (or oven) to about 375°F with an area for indirect cooking.
Boil the Pasta
- Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, until just al dente. Drain well.
Heat the Milk
- While the pasta cooks, heat the milk in a small saucepan, (do not let it boil).
Cook the Salami
- In a larger saucepan or skillet, cook the salami, over medium-low heat until it begins to crisp up 4-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the salami to a paper towel lined plate.
Finish the Mac & Cheese
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the garlic to the salami grease, cook over low heat for 1 minute. Then add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk, ½ cup at a time. Cook for a couple of minutes more, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat, then add the Gruyere, cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Add the cooked macaroni, and salami and stir well. Place the mixture in 2 small skillets (or individual cast-iron dishes).
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, then combine the butter, panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon thyme. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the panko mixture for the lobster and sprinkle the rest on the top of the mac and Cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes using indirect heat, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.
Prepare the Lobster
- While the mac and cheese cooks, prepare the lobster by removing the small grey sac behind the head, plus the green tomalley (lobster’s liver) and discard.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the reserved panko mixture into each half of the lobster filling the areas that you have just cleaned.
- Mix together the butter, lemon zest & juice, garlic, and parsley. Set aside.
- When the mac and cheese is just about done, place the lobster on the grill over medium heat, cut side down to char for a minute or two. Then turn the halves over and spread the butter mixture over the lobster and cook for 3-5 minutes until warmed through.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Serve each lobster half over a skillet of mac and cheese and dig in!
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