From My Kitchen: Crab Mac ‘n’ Cheese

If you’re looking for a healthy recipe, exit to your left. This dish is loaded with butter and pasta, breadcrumbs and cheese. It’s ooey, gooey and delicious, but make no mistake, it’s a once in a while kinda dish! You won’t be able to stop eating it once it’s done, and neither will whoever you cooked this for. It’s the kinda recipe you don’t wanna share, because you’ll be the friend with the Crab Mac ‘n’ Cheese, and you’re going to like it.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 pound of elbow macaroni
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • 3 cups of milk
  • 1 cup of Half & Half
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 7 – 8 oz sharp Cheddar, shredded
  • 7 – 8 oz Gruyere, shredded
  • 1 pound of lump or claw crab meat
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2 more tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, set aside.

Melt the 6 tbsp butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together to form a light brown roux. Slowly add the milk while continuously whisking. When the sauce is nice and thick, add the Half & Half while still whisking.

Add the cheeses, salt and Old Bay seasoning. Stir well. Add the crab meat. Stir well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

When the elbow macaroni is done, and the crab-cheese sauce is finished, add the pasta to the sauce, and stir to combine. Place into an oven proof dish. Add the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top. Slice the leftover butter into thin slices and place on top of the Mac.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 5 – 10 minutes.

Bon Appétit!

Author: Gotham Foodie

Hello there, fellow foodies! My name is Erica, I was born and raised in Germany, and moved to the US, New York City to be exact, in July of 1987. I have worked most of my time here in the Big Apple as a bartender, but my true love is food. I cook just about every day, I search for good food everywhere, and pretty much always find it. I don't consider myself a food critic, I don't have the culinary background for that kind of expertise. I do however know good food, good chefs and good restaurants. I report back about my culinary adventures, and I choose to leave out my unsatisfactory experiences. We have enough negativity in our daily lives, I don't want to add to that. All the recipes in my FROM MY KITCHEN and DOTW blogs are cooked and prepared by me. All pictures are taken by me. I don't always eat everything you see in my pictures, but you bet your buns, I do try everything. Last but not least, you should know that I am a huge Top Chef fan. I have never missed an episode of the Bravo TV show. I have at this point visited almost 20 restaurants run by Top Chef contestants, and I'm continuously impressed by their skill, drive and passion. So I will continue to seek them out, and I hope you join me in my journey!

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