Decadent Seafood Mac and Cheese: A Luxurious Twist on a Classic!


 

🍤 Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with succulent seafood—this isn’t your average mac and cheese! Imagine tender shrimp, flaky crab, or buttery lobster folded into a velvety three-cheese sauce, then baked until golden and bubbly. Restaurant-quality indulgence, right at home!


Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✅ Elevated comfort food – Fancy enough for date night, easy enough for weeknights.
✅ Customizable – Use shrimp, crab, lobster, or a seafood mix.
✅ Crispy, golden topping – Panko breadcrumbs add the perfect crunch.
✅ Make-ahead friendly – Assemble ahead, bake when ready.
✅ Ad-optimized structure – Keeps readers scrolling (and ads loading!).


Ingredients

*(Serves 6-8)*

For the Mac and Cheese:

  • 12 oz (340g) elbow macaroni (or cavatappi for extra nooks)

  • 4 tbsp butter

  • ¼ cup (30g) flour (or cornstarch for GF)

  • 3 cups (720ml) whole milk (or half-and-half for extra richness)

  • 2 cups (200g) shredded sharp cheddar

  • 1 cup (100g) shredded Gruyère or fontina

  • ½ cup (50g) grated Parmesan

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • ½ tsp garlic powder

  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for a kick)

  • Salt & black pepper to taste

For the Seafood:

  • 1 lb (450g) cooked seafood (shrimp, crab, lobster, or mix), chopped

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

For the Topping:

  • ½ cup (50g) panko breadcrumbs

  • 2 tbsp melted butter

  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan


Step-by-Step Instructions