Photo by Karen Hermann
Makes 48
2 tablespoons butter, plus additional for muffin pan
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Kosher salt
White pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ pound pasta, cooked (small shapes work best)
5 lobster tails, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces (shells discarded)*
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat insides of two 24-cup mini-muffin pans with butter.
In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter, and saute jalapenos until soft. Whisk in flour, and continue stirring 2–3 minutes. Do not let brown. Add milk, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and starts to boil, 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat; add cheeses, and stir until melted. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce; stir to combine.
Scoop tablespoons of mac and cheese into muffins cups, packing them lightly. Insert a piece of lobster meat into each cup. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan and bread crumbs; sprinkle on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
Bake until mac and cheese is starting to brown on top and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Use a small knife to loosen around the edges, and transfer to a serving platter.
*Instead of lobster, you can substitute cooked small shrimp, lump crab or bay scallops.
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Recipe tip
How to cook lobster tails – Using a kitchen shear, cut down the middle of the lobster shell, just to the tail. Fold open the shell, and pull the lobster meat up and out, but do not detach it from the shell. Fold the shell back together, and lay the lobster meat on top. Place shell on a foil-lined baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make a slit down the center of the lobster meat, removing any vein that may still be there (as with shrimp). Brush meat with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon. Broil until meat is opaque in color, about 7–8 minutes (shells will turn bright red).