Bright & Creamy Lobster Mac & Cheese

Nov 26, 2025 | Blog, Favorite Recipes

Close-up of creamy lobster mac and cheese topped with golden breadcrumbs and fresh chives, served in an ornate procelain orange-and-gold bowl

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Pairs well with Alsace or California dry riesling

Servings: 6
Total Time: ~1 hour


This Bright & Creamy Lobster Mac & Cheese is rich, comforting, and brightened with sherry, lemon zest, chives, and sumac. It’s an elegant but easy dish. Left over holiday ham makes a surprisingly perfect substitute for the lobster.

8 ounces cooked lobster meat, chopped (2-3 small tails yields ~ 2 cups)
*Optional: if boiling the lobster tails – use that water to cook pasta
16 ounces cavatappi, shells, or other medium pasta
Water + 1 tablespoon salt (for boiling lobster and pasta)

⅓ cup salted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon sumac
2 ¾ cups milk (room temperature)
½ cup half-and-half or light cream (room temperature)
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (yellow cheddar is fine, but white looks cleaner and more elegant)
1 ¼ cups shredded gruyère (or swiss, havarti, or mozzarella)
½ cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons dry sherry

½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or 1 teaspoon parsley (optional substitute)

Additional chopped chives
½–1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add the thawed lobster tails and cook for one minute per ounce of the largest tail, or until just cooked through. Transfer the tails to a bowl to cool, skim off any foam, and reserve the cooking water — you’ll use it for the pasta.

Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat, roughly chop and set it aside. 

Bring the reserved lobster water (or a fresh pot of salted water) to a boil.
Cook the pasta until al dente (~2 minutes less than package directions).
Drain but do not rinse, and set aside (sauce adheres better to unrinsed pasta).

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Whisk in the flour and cook until thick and pasty, ~2 minutes.

Combine milk and half-and-half in a container and slowly whisk into the roux in stages, allowing it to thicken before adding more. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1–2 minutes, whisking until smooth.

Add onion powder, dry mustard, salt, Old Bay, white pepper, and sumac and stir to combine.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, gruyère, and parmesan until completely melted. Stir in the dry sherry at the very end.

Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Combine the pasta with the cheese sauce. Fold in half of the lobster (or ham). Transfer to the baking dish and scatter the remaining lobster over the top.

Mix breadcrumbs, melted butter, parmesan, and chives (or optional parsley). Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.

Bake 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Avoid overbaking so the lobster stays tender.

Sprinkle with fresh chives and lightly grate lemon peel over the top just before serving — the citrus and sumac together brighten the richness.

Do not use pre-grated cheese as it’s coated and doesn’t create the same creamy sauce consistency.

White pepper blends seamlessly into cream sauces and gives gentle heat.

White cheddar provides the same flavor as yellow but keeps the dish light and elegant.

Sumac adds its own lemony brightness, balancing the richness without actual acidity.

Ham is an excellent option if you’re not using lobster.

Serve with a green salad dressed with vinaigrette. Crusty bread is a nice addition.

This recipe was inspired by a classic from Spend With Pennies and reimagined by Platypus Tour Guide Alumni Shawnda Hansen with additional flavors and techniques.