Seafood Mac N Cheese

SEAFOOD MAC N' CHEESE

This decadent dish combines all my favorite things! Pasta, seafood and cheese. Super yummy, super delish. Everyone will be singing your praises

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• Salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
•  4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
•  3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster, shrimp, crawfish, or crabmeat, or a combination
• 4 cups (1 pound) mixed grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, and Gouda
• 1/2 block of velveeta cheese 
• Additional spices (garlic powder, thyme, paprika) to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni 2 minutes less than al dente. Drain; rinse with cold water. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook until softened and almost translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk; whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Add additional spices to taste. Fold in Cheese (reserving half a cup for topping) until all is melted and sauce is thick and creamy.

Remove pan from heat. Fold in seafood and macaroni; transfer to a shallow 4-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining amount of cheese over top. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. 

This can be served as a side or a main dish. But it is very rich so it's best served alone!