There’s a moment in every cook’s life where a little culinary madness pays off. For me, it was a chilly Friday evening, standing in my kitchen with a half-empty box of pasta and some leftover crab and shrimp from a seafood boil. I craved the creamy, nostalgic hug of mac and cheese, but I also wanted the luxurious taste of the sea. What followed was an experiment that filled my entire apartment with the most incredible aroma—buttery, cheesy, oceanic, and deeply comforting. The first bite of that Seafood Mac and Cheese was a revelation. It was everything I loved about both worlds, married in one glorious, bubbling dish. Now, it’s my go-to for impressing guests or treating myself to something truly special. Let me show you how to make it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re like me and believe that mac and cheese is its own food group, and that seafood makes any meal feel like a celebration, then this recipe is your dream come true. You’ll love it because it’s decadent without being overly complicated, it’s packed with flavor in every single bite, and it has that magical “wow” factor that makes it perfect for a dinner party or a luxurious family supper. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm, cheesy embrace from the inside out, and I promise, once you make it, it’ll earn a permanent spot in your recipe rotation.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 8 oz) of dry Elbow Macaroni
- 6 oz. Claw Crab Meat, picked over for shells
- 8 oz. medium Shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 8 oz. Sour Cream
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ cups Whole Milk, warmed slightly
- 3 cups shredded Cheese (I use a mix of 2 cups sharp Cheddar and 1 cup Gruyère)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Powder
- A pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional, for a tiny kick)
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Let’s talk ingredients, because quality matters here. For the crab, I always use claw meat—it’s flavorful, economical, and holds up beautifully. Please take two minutes to gently sift through it with your fingers; finding a stray shell mid-bite is no fun, and I’ve learned this the hard way! For the cheese, trust me, do not use pre-shredded bags. They contain anti-caking agents that can make your sauce grainy. Taking the extra five minutes to grate a block of cheddar and Gruyère is a non-negotiable step for that silky-smooth sauce. The Gruyère adds a fantastic nutty depth that plays so well with the seafood.(See the next page below to continue…)