Crab Macaroni and Cheese 🦀🧀 with big pieces of juicy crab and tender pasta in a creamy cheese sauce, and topped with crispy breadcrumbs is what dreams are made of! This homemade mac and cheese is an elevated side dish that’s worthy of being on your holiday table – or make it as the main dish! You won’t want to go back to other mac & cheese after trying this one!
Easy Crab Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
- I’ve gone nearly 17 years without posting a recipe using crab and I recently posted this Cheesy Baked Crab Dip and now I’m moving on to homemade macaroni and cheese with big chunks of juicy crabmeat nestled in every bite of cheesy, creamy pasta.
- That part of the recipe comes together on the stovetop in about 15-20 minutes and you could stop there but I didn’t. I sprinkled buttery breadcrumbs on the top an baked it off in the oven until the breadcrumbs were golden browned and crispy.
- The texture contrast of the soft, tender crab and the cooked macaroni with the crispy breadcrumb topping takes this homemade macaroni and cheese recipe to the next level.
- Admittedly, this isn’t the type of mac ‘n cheese that you’re going to serve at a five-year-old’s birthday party. But it makes a decadent and impressive side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s date night-in, or when you want to impress your partner for an anniversary dinner at home. Heck, tastes so amazing, decadent, and comforting enough that you can call it the main dish!
- Make-ahead directions are provided in the Notes section of recipe card because there are a variety of steps involved in this mac ‘n cheese but it’s so worth.
Ingredients in Crab Mac and Cheese
Pasta: Medium shells are what I used, or try elbow macaroni, rigatoni, or ziti.
Crab Mixture: 3 tablespoons butter (I like salted but unsalted is fine), garlic, crab meat*, smoked paprika, Old Bay Seasoning, onion powder.
Creamy Cheese Sauce: 5 tablespoons butter, all-purpose flour, cream (heavy cream or half-and-half), whole milk, salt, pepper, optional nutmeg, and then the cheeses.
Cheeses: I use a mixture of shredded sharp cheddar, gruyere, and Monterey Jack cheeses for different flavors but you can use solely cheddar or add some Monterey Jack to it. Aim for 24 ounces (3 cups) total of shredded cheese.
Breadcrumb Topping: Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs or if you want the topping to be extra crispy use Panko breadcrumbs. Combine them with melted butter and Old Bay.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
What Kind of Crab Meat To Use For Mac & Cheese
I have a detailed analysis of crab meat in my Baked Crab Dip post so I encourage you to read that over.
If you’re wondering if you can substitute lobster in place of crab, you definitely can and wow, holy decadence!
- The best (and most expensive) is refrigerated fresh lump crab meat which is a mixture of lump crab meat and backfin meat. You can buy this from some grocery stores at the seafood counter. It’s what you see in the photos in this post.
- Canned crab meat is fine. The texture is not comparable to fresh but it’s easy to find and it’s less expensive. Drain it very well to make sure there’s as little water as possible. If using 6 ounce cans, I suggest 3 cans which is 18 ounces (rather than 16) but a bit extra is just fine.
- Imitation crab meat is the most budget friendly of all 3 options, although it’s not really crab meat as the name suggests. Instead, it’s a mixture of fish including surimi. But in mac and cheese, it’s fine. Shred it well and toss it in.
How To Make Macaroni and Cheese with Crabmeat
- Pasta: Boil the pasta until just al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Do not overcook.
- Crab Mixture: To a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, then add garlic, the crab meat, smoked paprika, Old Bay, onion powder, and stir to coat the crab meat.
- Creamy Cheese Sauce: Separately, in a large saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, once melted, whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook for one to two minutes. Tip – The roux is what’s going to help thicken the sauce later so it’s important to take your time with this step. Add the cream and milk slowly, whisk to combine.
- Cheeses: Add the cheeses, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir until the cheese is melty.
- Combine: Add the pasta to the cheese sauce, stir to coat, then add the crab meat mixture and stir to combine. Turn out into a large 9×13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.
- Breadcrumbs + Bake: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and combine with breadcrumbs and evenly. Sprinkle them over the top and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden browned and crispy. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley and serve you mac and cheese dish.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
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Pasta: Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until just al dente. Do not overcook because you’re baking this pasta later and it will continue to cook. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, move onto the next steps.
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Preheat and Prep: Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish, 3-quart baking dish, or large casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
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Crab Mixture: To a large skillet, add the butter and heat over medium high-heat to melt; swirl the skillet to encourage it to melt. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute; stir continuously.
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Add the Old Bay, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
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Add the crab meat and stir to coat it in the seasoned butter mixture and heat to just warm through, about 1-2 minutes. Stir frequently. Set skillet aside.
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Creamy Cheese Sauce: To a separate large skillet or large sauce, pan, add the butter and heat over medium heat to melt; swirl the skillet to encourage it to melt.
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Roux: Add the flour and whisk vigorously to incorporate the flour into the butter, and then allow it to turn lightly golden brown; cook for 60-90 seconds and whisk nearly continuously. Tip – You’re making a roux which is what’s going to help thicken the creamy cheese sayce later on so it’s important not to shortchange this step. Also you also don’t want to undercook the flour here because the final macaroni will have a raw flour taste.
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Cream: Very slowly, add the half-and-half, milk, and with continuously while you’re adding them. Allow the milk to thicken for 1-2 minutes; whisk nearly continuously.
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Cheese: Add the various cheeses and whisk continuously to encourage them to melt. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce can be stirred fully smooth. Cheese Tips – I like using a combination of the various cheeses because it gives the final macaroni a richer flavor but if you’re only going to pick one cheese, I would go with the cheddar cheese. I like sharp cheddar but if you want it milder or extra sharp, that’s personal preference. Gruyere cheese is more expensive so if you want to omit that one and just use cheddar and Monterey Jack, that’s fine too.
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Combine: Add the cooked pasta to the cheesy cream sauce and stirred to combine and coat well.
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Taste: Add the crab meat mixture and stir to combine that with the pasta. Make sure to taste everything right now, and add salt and pepper to taste. Flavor Tips – If it tastes at all flat, boring, or bland it will likely benefit for more salt. If you want it a bit spicier, you can add more Old Bay, or simply add a pinch of cayenne pepper, taking care because cayenne is very spicy obviously.
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Transfer: Turn the mac and cheese out into the prepared baking dish; set aside momentarily.
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Optionally, evenly sprinkle a handful or two of additional cheese (about 1 cup) if you have extra on hand.
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Breadcrumb Topping: To a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs, Old Bay, and toss with a fork to combine and coat the breadcrumbs.
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Optionally, add additional salt and pepper at this time. And if you have shredded Parmesan cheese on hand, add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup to the mixture now and mix with a fork to combine.
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Sprinkle and Bake: Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the mac and cheese and bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until the breadcrumb topping is as slightly golden brown as desired and the it’s lightly bubbling around the edge. Baking Tips – Check early and keep a close eye on it since all ovens run differently, but if yours takes 30-35 minutes to bake, so be it. I recommend rotating the baking dish once midway through baking to ensure even browning.
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Serve: Optionally garnished with fresh herbs, such as minced parsley. Allow it to cool momentarily and serve.
When you’re ready to bake it off, allow it to set out on your counter for 1 hour. You do not want to bake this from fridge-cold! You will not have great results. While it’s coming to room temperature, prep the breadcrumb topping as instructed, sprinkle it evenly, and bake as directed.
Storage: Recipe is best served hot and fresh because the topping is crispy, the cheese sauce is perfectly melted, and the pasta and crab are at their peak. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, noting that the texture of everything will change as it the case with any mac and cheese. Reheat very gently in your microwave for about 30 seconds or as desired. I have not frozen this and personally would not choose to and would instead enjoy it the day I make it or in the next few days.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 758cal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 1293mg, Potassium: 433mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1426IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 751mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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