Super delicious, dreamy mac and cheese that tastes just like she-crab soup but amped up with tons of cheese and pasta. She-crab mac and cheese is the mac and cheese we've all been waiting for! This is perfect for a cozy weekend, Valentine's Day, or even Christmas Eve.
Yep, we're doing it. She-Crab mac and cheese. Simplified to be not a Whole Big Thing, but juuuuuuuust extra enough that if you're into cooking Big Foods for Valentine's Day, here's your recipe.
It's a simplified she-crab soup recipe, eliminating sherry and anything that we don't use all the time because I couldn't be bothered.
Then it's a basic-but-fabulous mac and cheese base, heavy cream and fontina-style, fresh onion and garlic because FLAVOR, and holy hell this is one of the best things that I've made in the last few years, don't mind if I do.
Seasoning here comes from Old Bay, nothing like it, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. This spice blend is just spicy enough to cut through the cream and cheese, but not so much so that it overwhelms the mild crab flavor.
On crab: I used lump crab and picked it through for shell bits. I used the...second most expensive one at the store? it wasn't the mac daddy "swear this is perfect and worth $50" version, but a step below that. Canned/pasteurized in water in the seafood section. Since I knew this would get stirred into a creamy cheese sauce I didn't need the most perfect claw clumps - smaller bits of crab are wonderful in this.
Let's start! Since we don't want to burn the mac and cheese base, I get everything ready and measured, then cook and drain the pasta before I start cooking the she crab soup mixture. Reserve some pasta cooking water right before you drain it - a cup or so.
Then, to the same big pasta pot, heat the butter, onion, garlic, spices, and tomato paste over medium heat. Stir to combine and make a spicy gooey mixture, then stir in the flour and let that cook for one minute.
Whisking as you go, stream in the stock slowly to incorporate into the flour mixture. I do a little at a time and whisk, bring back to a bubble, then add more. When the stock is incorporated stir in the cream and HERE WE GO pink deliciousness. This alone is not an awful sauce for pasta, promise.
Let the stock mixture heat and start to simmer (turn the heat up a little if you need to), then fold in the grated cheese 1 handful at a time until it's melted in. Reserve about a cup of cheese for stirring in later.
Again. Wow. And it keeps getting better! Now, turn the heat off, add in the pasta, crab meat, and the rest of the cheese. Fold everything together (just....fold it in, David. Fold it!) gently to keep some chunks of crab intact, and, I mean, yes.
Honestly you could eat this as-is if you cook your pasta all the way at the beginning. She-Crab 30 minute meals should be an entire book. BUT I DIGRESS.
At this point, taste the mac and add...more salt, some pasta water, more cream? It should be SAUCY but not SOUPY. Definitely not clumpy or dry, though, so add more liquid if you need.
Pour everything in a baking dish and sprinkle all over with panko and black pepper.
Bake the she crab mac and cheese at 425F just until it's bubbly - 15 minutes or so at this point, or longer if you make this in advance and keep it in the fridge, which you can definitely do.
And, there we go. She-crab mac and cheese, cold weather dinner hero.
Lemon wedges for serving, need some acid to break through the cream and cheese, not in a bad way.
Extra black pepper, maybe some flaky salt or a drizzle of fruity olive oil? It only gets better from here, but the super luscious base of this with sweet crab, tangy pink sauce with all the yummy spices...it's just a lot. In a good way.
Make this soon for someone you love (you love yourself, make it for yourself), and get suuuuper excited for the leftovers.
Enjoy this!
She Crab Mac and Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces short-cut pasta cooked to al dente and drained, one cup pasta water reserved.
- 16 ounces lump crab picked through for any shell bits
- 16 ounces fontina cheese grated
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sweet/mild paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay or other seafood seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- extra salt pepper, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and the pasta pot (or another large pot) from boiling the noodles to medium heat.
- Add the butter, onion, garlic, spices, and tomato paste to the pot. Stir to combine until the mixture is sizzling, then sprinkle over the flour. Whisk together to form a paste.
- Very slowly pour in the stock, whisking as you go, to create a thickened sauce. Pour in the cream and continue to stir.
- Let the mixture come just to a simmer, then stir in the fontina cheese 1 handful at a time until it melts, reserving 1 cup of grated cheese. When the she-crab soup base (and mac and cheese base) is done, turn the stove off.
- Add the pasta, crab, and remaining cheese to the pot. Stir gently to combine and taste: add more salt, pasta water, or cream to your preference. The mixture should be saucy but not soupy.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle with the panko and black pepper.
- Bake the she-crab mac and cheese for 15-20 minutes until bubbly, then serve with flaky salt, olive oil, cracked pepper, and lemon wedges.
- YES.
lol definitely had to google what a she-crab is 🙂
Haha I know! Makes no sense that we call it that.