Seafood Mac and Cheese

Traditional elbow macaroni is used in our recipe for Seafood Mac and Cheese. It is loaded with succulent shrimp, Dungeness crab meat and chunks of wild salmon. and baked in a three-cheese creamy sauce. This is the ultimate mac ' cheese!

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Additional Time: 15

Total Time: 50

Servings: -12 servings

Calories: 729kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons butter melted
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
2 cup grated Gouda cheese
1 cup grated white Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons flour

Cheese Sauce:

8 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves grated or minced
⅔ cup flour
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1-½ teaspoon Old Bay seasonings
½ teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried dill

The Seafood:

½ pound salmon skin removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
½ pound medium size peeled shrimp tails removed
½ pound cooked Dungeness crabmeat free from any cartilage bits
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil, add the macaroni and return to a boil. Cook for 5-minutes, stirring occasionally. Macaroni will be cooked slightly less than ‘al dente’ but will continue to cook in the sauce.
Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Transfer the macaroni to a large mixing bowl and toss with oil, set aside.
Add the Panko breadcrumbs to a small mixing bowl, drizzle the melted butter over the breadcrumbs and toss to combine and set aside.
Place the grated cheese to a large mixing bowl and toss with the 2 tablespoons of flour, set aside.

Make the Sauce:

Heat the oven to 400°F and coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil spray.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the flour. Cook for 1 minute while stirring continually.
Slowly add the white wine to the flour mixture and cook for 30 seconds,while whisking. Whisk in the milk, cream and seasonings. Cook the sauce, whisking frequently, for 6-8 minutes until lightly thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and gradually add the cheese while whisking. Continue to whisk until all the cheese has been incorporated and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Assemble and Bake:

Tip the sauce into the bowl of macaroni and mix until the macaroni is well coated.
Add the salmon, crab and shrimp to the mixture, stirring gently to distribute evenly.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish, smoothing the top level with a spatula.
Distribute the breadcrumbs over the surface of the casserole and transfer to the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
Transfer from the oven and serve while hot as the sauce will thicken as the casserole cools.

Notes

Boiling the pasta too long will result in mushy macaroni after it bakes. Cook to just a bit less than al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven.
No need to pre-cook the salmon and shrimp as it will cook completely in the casserole.
There is no rule of what seafood you use, choose your favorite and according to your budget.
When the béchamel has thickened, it may taste like it needs more salt but do not add additional salt until the cheese has been whisked in, then taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Dungeness crabmeat may be substituted with 2 cans (6 oz. each) of lump crabmeat.
Any good melting cheese will work in this recipe. Additional choices could be Swiss, Jack, Fontina or Mozzarella.
Tossing the cheese with a couple tablespoons of flour and adding it in 3 increments will keep the cheese from lumping.
If the sauce is not smooth enough use an immersion blender for a few seconds.
Serve the casserole immediately while the cheesy sauce is hot and creamy. As the casserole cools the sauce thickens.
To reheat, spoon as many portions into an oven-safe dish and for every 1 cup of casserole, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of milk over the top, cover with foil and place in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.

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