Crab Macaroni and Cheese

Sponsored – This dreamy Crab Macaroni and Cheese is a very special dish meant for a special occasion.  The homemade creamy Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese sauce compliments the sweet jumbo lump crab meat perfectly.   Serve it as a side dish or as an entree it’s a fantastic and budget friendly way to serve crab meat to a crowd with style.

For more than 150 years, Borden Cheese has been delivering wholesome dairy goodness to families across the country. Borden Cheese is not only made with pure, wholesome ingredients, but with genuine love from 8,500 American family-owned farms.  I’m always a proud supporter of the farms across America and when asked by Borden to create a special dish to share for the holiday season using their cheese I was delighted to partner with them and develop this ooey gooey Crab Macaroni and Cheese.

When you think of ingredients to include in a meal for a group crab meat probably doesn’t come to mind. It’s pricey and the challenge is stretching it into a dish that everyone can enjoy.  That’s precisely how this dish came to life.  If you like, you can divide this macaroni and cheese into single serving ramekins for a fun presentation and portion control.   Make sure you adjust the baking time, smaller ramekins wouldn’t take quite as long to bake. The homemade sauce may look involved but, it’s worth the effort and the “oohs” and “aahs” that are sure to follow.

See it at The Weekend Potluck here

Learn more about the cheese used in this recipe here  

Disclosure – This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Borden Cheese.  The opinions and text are all mine. Thank you for being supportive and allowing me to share the brands with you that I enjoy. 

Crab Macaroni and Cheese

 

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Author: Melissa Sperka

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 (16) oz dry Cavatappi pasta (Twisted Macaroni)
• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp seafood seasoning, divided (i.e. Old Bay, Seafood Magic, your favorite)
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp ground mustard
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 oz Chive & Onion cream cheese, softened
• 5 cups whole milk
• 5 cups shredded Borden Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• Topping:
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp seafood seasoning
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta in salted water per the package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.
3. Pick over the crab meat removing any shells and cartilage. Set aside.
4. In a medium-size heavy bottomed saucepan melt ½ cup butter over medium heat.
5. To the melted butter add the flour, 1½ tsp seafood seasoning, garlic salt, ground mustard and black pepper. Mix until the flour has been absorbed by the butter stirring constantly.
6. Gradually whisk in the milk. Whisk constantly to prevent clumping.
7. Bring the milk to a boil then immediately lower the heat to low. Simmer for 3-5 minutes gently bubbling stirring to prevent sticking.
8. Turn off the heat. Add the cream cheese to the sauce. Stir until melted then add 3 cups of Borden shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Remove from the heat, stirring until melted.
9. Add the cooked pasta and crab meat to a large mixing bowl.
10. Pour the cheese sauce over and mix until fully coated and the crab meat is evenly distributed.
11. Pour ½ into the baking dish. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese. Repeat with macaroni then top with the final 1 cup of shredded cheese.
12. Topping: Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in a small microwave safe bowl.. Mix with the panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and ¼ tsp seafood seasoning. (Add more or less to your taste) Sprinkle on top.
13. Place into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and and the edges are bubbly.
14. Garnish with chopped parsley just before serving. .

Notes

Each brand of seafood seasoning contains a different amount of sodium. Adjust the amount of salt in this recipe based on the type of seafood seasoning used.

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