Go Back
Print
crabmeat-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe

Crabmeat Macaroni and Cheese

Bring the sea home and tantalize your taste buds with this easy cheesy recipe for macaroni and cheese with crabmeat. A crab lovers delight!

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword béchamel sauce, crab, crab meat, macaroni, pasta, seafood
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author jettskitchen.com

Ingredients

Crunchy Topping

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Filling

  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup freshly grated white cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups large elbow macaroni uncooked
  • 8 ounces lump crab meat
  • 1/4 red bell pepper diced
  • 3 green onions chopped (keep white and greens separated)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare pasta and other ingredients

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook large elbow macaroni pasta about 2-3 minutes or until al-dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. In a large mixing bowl combine crab meat, chopped green onion (the white part and half of the green part), salt and pepper, cooked pasta and set aside.

  2. Making the Béchamel Sauce

    Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in a large pot. Add all-purpose flour to melted butter to make a roux. Cook the roux over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes then whisk in only 2 cups of milk until mixture is smooth to make the béchamel sauce or it’s sometimes referred to as a white sauce. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until sauce thickens to a early stage gravy consistency. Add the other cup of milk gradually until the sauce is creamy and not thick.

    Remove saucepan from heat and add the grated white cheddar, gruyere, fontina and parmesan cheese to the béchamel sauce and stir until melted.

  3. Combine Ingredients

    Pour the cheesy béchamel sauce over the crabmeat and cooked macaroni mixture and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 1-qt baking dish.

  4. Making the Topping and Bake

    In a small fry pan melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Add panko bread crumbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese to melted butter and stir to combine. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the crabmeat macaroni and cheese and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the topping turns brown. Serve immediately while it’s hot and enjoy!