Crab Cake Mac & Cheese
A dinkified reboot of the infamous Rachael Ray mashup from Week in a Day!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons salt
8 ounces cavatappi
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces fresh lump crabmeat
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12 ounces grated white Cheddar
Nonstick cooking spray
3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer it to a large bowl.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, red pepper, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. Remove the bay leaf and add the crabmeat to the vegetables and seafood seasoning. Stir to combine; set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute and slowly whisk in the milk until is combined. Bring to a simmer over medium high. Season sauce with remaining salt and pepper and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low, add the mustard and cheese and stir until cheese is completely melted.
Transfer the sauce and crab and vegetable mixture to the bowl with the pasta and stir to combine.
Preheat oven to 375F. Apply a light layer of nonstick cooking spray to an 8x8 baking dish. Transfer pasta mixture to the baking dish; set aside.
Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add hot sauce and breadcrumbs. Toss to combine and transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly, 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley and Parmesan to the breadcrumbs and stir to combine.
Top mac and cheese with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden.
Crab Cake Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, red pepper, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. Remove the bay leaf and add the crabmeat to the vegetables and seafood seasoning. Stir to combine; set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute and slowly whisk in the milk until is combined. Bring to a simmer over medium high. Season sauce with remaining salt and pepper and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low, add the mustard and cheese and stir until cheese is completely melted.
- Transfer the sauce and crab and vegetable mixture to the bowl with the pasta and stir to combine.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Apply a light layer of nonstick cooking spray to an 8x8 baking dish. Transfer pasta mixture to the baking dish; set aside.
- Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add hot sauce and breadcrumbs. Toss to combine and transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly, 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley and Parmesan to the breadcrumbs and stir to combine.
- Top mac and cheese with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden.
Check out some of my other creations:
DINK stands for Dual Income No Kids - but you don’t have to be a dink to savor our food. We’re into recipes for two to minimize food waste, control portions, and savor every bite!
Remember when your Mom used to lovingly fry every latke for you? Reward her this Mother's Day with this nostalgic (and easy) comfort dish! Payback is yummy.