Date Night In Crab Cake Mac and Cheese

Let’s talk about comfort food, specifically Mac and Cheese, shall we? Yes, summer time is here. Yes, we should be eating light foods with tons of color and the whole nine…BUT HELLO QUARANTINE 2020!! I feel like Mac and Cheese is one of those foods that is just delicious at all times of the year. You can dress it up or dress it down and it always hits that spot. The ULTIMATE comfort food!

Now, quarantine life has been hard on all of us. One thing that has been hardest for me is not being able to enjoy a nice meal out! Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook for my family, but sometimes it is nice to have someone serve you. That’s where the inspiration for this dish came from. That want to go out and eat something fancy and fabulous combined with the need to be comfortable and cozy in your sweatpants at home.

The flavors in this Mac and Cheese are everything you would taste in a crab cake. The salt from the Old Bay, the freshness from the peppers, the sweetness from the crab meat…mmmmm!!!! Add this to your “Date Night” repertoire and your significant other will be begging for more.

This dish comes together in multiple layers which allows each bite to be packed with flavor. There are couple components in this Mac and Cheese that you can customize to your liking, and even so, the end result with be a creamy, smooth, melt in your mouth delight!

Print Recipe

Crab Cake Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese filled with all the essentials of a delicious crab cake.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crab Cake, Mac and Cheese

Servings: 8

Author: Zoe Nazario

Ingredients

• 1 lb short cut pasta I used trompetti
• 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 2 cloves Garlic minced
• 1 tsp pink salt
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp old bay
• 1 ½ tsp dried parsley
• 1 ½ tsp ground mustard
• 1 lb crab meat
• 9 tbsp butter divided
• ⅓ cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 5 cups shredded cheese I used asiago and cheddar
• cooking spray

Bread Crumb Topping

• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp old bay
• 1 tsp pink salt

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 425°F
• Heat a large pot with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta 1-2 minutes short of the cooking time on the package.
• Once cooked, drain pasta and coat lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Toss the crab meat with the pasta and set aside.
• In the meantime, add 6 tbsp of butter to a large pot and melt over low heat. Once melted, add the onions, season with the 1 tsp salt and cook until translucent (5-8 minutes).
• Add the red peppers and garlic to the onions and allow them to soften slightly.
• Add all the seasonings up to and including the ground mustard to the veggies. Cook for 1-2 minutes to develop the flavors.
• Add remaining butter to the pan and melt. Once melted, add the flour and coat the veggies, Cook for 1 minute.
• Add the milk and heavy cream and allow to thicken. When it has thickened, add in the cheese little by little until a sauce is formed.
• Dump the pasta with the crab meat into a 9×13 baking dish coated in cooking spray. Pour the cheese sauce on top and stir to coat.
• Combine the breadcrumbs with the seasonings and coat the mac and cheese.
• Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly
• Serve warm and ENJOY!

Notes

1. Use more or less cayenne pepper depending on your taste. 
2. I used 2 cups of asiago cheese and 3 cups of cheddar, but use your favorites. Grate the cheese yourself. It melts better!
3. You can use whatever short cut pasta you want. Elbows would work. Small shells would work too. Whatever you like.