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–+ servings
crab macaroni and cheese in a cast iron pan being scooped with a wooden spoon.
Ainseanlea Bonds

Crab Mac & Cheese

5 from 1 vote
An easy mac & cheese recipe featuring a creamy white cheddar cheese sauce flavored with fresh dill, parsley and Old Bay seasoning to complement the chunks of lump crab meat in every bite!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 1 ten-inch pan
Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Christmas, Comfort Food
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb cavatappi pasta
  • 1 lb lump crab meat
  • 20 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 16 oz fontina cheese
  • 4 oz mild cheddar cheese
  • 12 oz evaporated milk
  • 1 tablespoon dill leaves, chopped about 2 stems
  • 1 ½ tablespoon curly parsley leaves about 1 ½ stems plus extra for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • butter for greasing pan

Equipment

  • one 10 or 12-inch baking/casserole dish

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Shred the cheeses. Mix the extra sharp white cheddar and 8 ounces of the fontina cheese together in one bowl for the cheese sauce. Add the mild yellow cheddar and the remaining 8 ounces of the fontina to a separate bowl for layering the crab mac & cheese. Set both aside.
  3. Boil the pasta according to manufacturers instructions until al dente.
  4. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the evaporated milk, chopped dill, chopped parsley & Old Bay seasoning. Stir to incorporate and once the mixture comes to a gentle simmer immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.
  5. Add a third of the white cheddar/fontina mixture to the evaporated milk and stir until the cheese has completely melted. Add another third of the cheese mixture and repeat this step until all the white cheddar/fontina mixture has been added.
  6. Add the boiled pasta and the lump crab meat to the cheese sauce and mix for about 2-4 minutes to allow to thicken & for the cheese sauce to be more cohesive.
  7. To a greased baking dish add a third of the pasta then top with a third of the fontina/mild yellow cheddar mixture set aside earlier. Repeat this twice more until everything has been used.
  8. Bake the assembled crab mac & cheese uncovered on the top rack of your oven at 400°F for 5-8 minutes until browned only.
  9. Garnish with fresh parsley and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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