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To Marylanders, crabs are a food group. We spend all summer hunting down the best crabs and spend hours picking them, all while enjoying time with our closest friends and family.
During the summer, when the crabs are plentiful, we’re sure to pick extra and store that delicious crab meat away for the cooler months.
One of my favorite comfort food dishes has always been mac and cheese. I mean, what’s not to love about it? Of course, for those of us on the Eastern Shore, a way to jazz up that classic mac and cheese is with some of that crab meat you stored away in the summer.
For a super creamy and indulgent crab mac and cheese, I used the NEW Land O’Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. It’s an extra rich blend of real milk and cream for the perfect morning coffee! It may be perfect for your morning coffee, but I really like to use it in recipes like this one!
I picked up the new Land O’Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half at my local Walmart.
An indulgently rich and creamy taste like this from Land O’Lakes® is meant for mac and cheese! Mac and Cheese is the comfort food of all comfort foods. It’s supposed to warm you up from the inside and just feel like home. It should be rich and creamy and make you want to lick the spoon.
- 1 (16 oz) box elbow or pipette noodles
- 2½ cups Land O’Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half
- 1 tsp Seafood Seasoning
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 2 cups italian blend (mozzarella, provolone, parmesan), shredded
- 2 cups crab meat
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Cook pasta al dente.
- Strain pasta and reserve 1½ cups of the water from cooking and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat Land O’Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half and 1 tsp seafood seasoning over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
- Continue simmering for about 15 minutes.
- Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Stir in shredded cheeses and combine until all is melted.
- Add cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
- Fold in crab meat.
- Pour mac and cheese into baking dish.
- (optional) Sprinkle with more seafood seasoning.
- Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over the top of mac and cheese.
- Bake about 10 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly and breadcrumbs lightly toasted.
Nothing beats this creamy baked crab mac and cheese on a cool fall day. I love being able to bring the taste of summer to all of our favorite fall dishes. Show me someone who wouldn’t appreciate this on their table this fall!
Of course, this crab mac and cheese would also make the perfect indulgent side for the holidays. Having family over that isn’t fortunate enough to enjoy crabs all summer? Give them a taste with this dish that is able to please everyone’s inner child, while giving them the adult flavors they love.
Emily says
This looks amazing! We’re huge fans of adding lobster to our mac & cheese here in New England, but if I had access to Maryland crab, I’d be using that, too! YUM! I bet the new Land O’Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half adds a nice layer of sweetness that compliments the crab beautifully. Any chance of you overnighting some crab so I can give this recipe a try?[client]
Patrick says
Mac and cheese is excellent with crab meat. I tried this recipe with our fresh blue crab meat and it was out of this world. The whole family went nuts!
Diane says
OMG! Any recipe of Mac n Cheese is a yes from me. Can’t wait to give this a try soon.
Sheila says
This is so good that I was speechless when I first tried it. The combination is both unique and familiar. It was amazing. Can’t wait to have these creamy baked crab mac and cheese again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Kamp says
Tried this recipe exactly as shown. I’m a scratch cook, so was looking for the best recipe for a seafood mac and cheese. This recipe produces a sauce that becomes gloppy (stringy), more cheese heavy than creamy. The italian cheese mixture is likely to blame. Crab texture is light and delicate–I think it might require building up from a bechamel sauce and being judicious with cheese, or at the least subbing out the italian mixture for less stringy cheese. The taste is pleasing. Your blog post is lovely. I enjoyed reading about the eastern shore and the crabs I grew up picking and loving.
Christina says
Sorry you did not have the same experience we did. Ours turns out great as this recipe is written.
Keisha says
It’s my dads birthday and he’s requested Creamy Baked Crab Mac & Cheese. This is my first time attempting and after searching the internet like a hawk I’ve come across this one that looks like the winner! I’m going to attempt and hope for the best wish me luck!