Monday, May 11, 2009

Lobster Mac and Cheese with a shot of protein

There are few things in this world that I might crave more than Lobster Mac 'n Cheese. The simple creamy, cheesy decadence of macaroni and cheese is one thing, but then toss in chunks of lobster? Oh.Dear.Mama.

Lobster Mac and CheeseIf I told you that this recipe is actually GOOD for you - and I mean really good for you - would you believe me? Thanks to the magic of quinoa pasta, I'm happy to bring you a reduced fat, super high in protein and fiber, yet still delicious meal. Yes, I know it sounds too good to be true, but I would never lead you astray. Already a cheerleader for quinoa, I couldn't believe my good fortune when I stumbled upon quinoa pasta at Henry's.

quinoa pastaMade of corn flour and quinoa flour, you can rest assured that eventhough you're eating something absurdly delicious, you're also filling your body with a complete protein and all the essential amino acids you need. Amazing, huh?!

Quinoa Lobster Mac and CheeseOh, and the lobster and cheddar cheesiness is a nice touch as well.

Quinoa Lobster Mac and CheeseAlthough the folks at Ancient Harvest boldly remind you not to overcook with an exclamation point, we have found that the pasta take a little longer than the box claims. In our household, we tend to stick to the "pick a noodle out of the pot to see if it's done" pasta cooking method.

We've also found quite the treasure in Trader Joe's Langostino Tails. A bag runs about 8-9 dollars, making lobster chunks an affordable and easy to make luxury while allowing our mac 'n cheese obsession to continue on a weekly basis.

Quinoa Lobster Mac 'n Cheese
2 8 oz. boxes quinoa pasta (available at health food stores like Henry's, Whole Foods), cooked according to package directions (plus a few minutes boiling time)
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 lb Velveeta, cut into cubes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp coarse garlic salt
2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar
1/2 -1 cup frozen peas (we use the full cup as pea lovers!)
12 oz of frozen langostino tails (bought at Trader Joe's)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Melt butter over medium heat until almost bubbling. Add flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk & broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until smooth & thickened. Reduce heat.

2. Add sour cream, Velveeta chunks, Parmesan, ground mustard, pepper & garlic salt. Continue stirring until smooth and cheese melts (this may take awhile). Once cheese is melted, add shredded cheddar and stir until melted. Stir in peas & lobster. Add drained pasta to pot and stir until combined with cheese sauce.

3. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer pasta to the dish and bake for 25 minutes.

50 comments:

Pearl said...

i've seen that quinoa pasta at henry's, but i never really looked at the ingredients! thanks for sharing :)

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

This looks amazing.. thanks for sharing! Am going to link to this in my Link Love later this month

kat said...

So how does the pasta taste? Is it like regular pasta

grace said...

i'm very familiar with quinoa, and i love it dearly. i didn't know there was a quinoa flour, much less pasta made from it. delightful. and come on, it's mac and cheese! :)

noble pig said...

Oh my word that does sound delicious. I love the idea of the lobster in there with the cheese and what a cool product!

Dewi said...

Luxe mac and cheese, yummy!

Esi said...

Quinoa pasta? I am going to have to investigate this. I love a good lobster mac!

Katie said...

What an odd combination! While I don't like lobster, that looks good and I'm going to have to try that pasta.

Snooky doodle said...

I ve never hear of quinoa pasta. But it s a great idea. the dish looks very yummy :)

pigpigscorner said...

I've never heard of quinoa pasta..have to look out for it! The lobster made the dish even better! yum yum!

Sharon said...

Hi Kat, you can tell the difference between normal pasta and quinoa pasta - I suppose it's mainly the texture that's not as tender. However, use it in a tasty sauce (I wouldn't just do olive oil and pepper) and you won't tell the difference!

Bunny said...

Lobster mac and cheese you go girl!!! I've never tried this pasta so I'm going to check it out when I go shopping. Thanks Sharon!

Maria said...

I want to try that pasta! Great dish!

Chef Fresco said...

I cant' believe this is good for you, looks so delicious! I have never tried lobster mac & cheese - I think I'm missing out!

Christina Kim said...

Quinoa pasta, wow!! This is sooo decadent, so wonderfully decadent.

Cate O'Malley said...

You're killing me. First mac and cheese, and now you're throwing in lobster too? Heading to TJ's this weekend, and I can see that lobster will be hitting the cart - yum!

Kerstin said...

I ALWAYS order lobster mac&cheese if I see it on a menu, but I never thought to try making it myself at home. It looks SO good! The quinoa pasta looks very interesting and I'm going to see if I can find the Langostino Tails at TJs!

Pam said...

Now that is the most fantastic mac and cheese I've ever seen. It looks perfect.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

OMG, that looks too good! Comfort food at it's best!

Cheers,

Rosa

Donna-FFW said...

Souns deliciously indulgent and such ULTIMATE comforting food..

vanillasugarblog said...

nooooo kidding. ok I am so sold on that one. and the pasta taste good too eh?
hot stuff. thanks for sharing this one!

The Blonde Duck said...

I've never heard of quinoa pasta, but all you had to say was protien mac and cheese and I'm in. Drool. Wuffle.

Melissa said...

How luxurious. That looks amazing.

BrittWilk said...

quinoa pasta looks amazing - great protein boost! so you're jealous of my big kitchen counter and i'm jealous of your large food budget! :) looks delicious, sharon!

Emily said...

I actually got a little weak in the knees when I read the title of your post.

I mean, wow. Does it get better than lobster mac and cheese?? No.

Camilla said...

This looks soooo good. I like the quinoa pasta, but I've kept the toppings minimal. They are ready for the full treatment; wil try this with some shrimp we have in the freezer (I love a bit of velveeta in my mac and cheese, too :)

Happy to be following your yummy blog! Camilla :)

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

This looks incredible! I love lobster. I never heard of quinoa pasta but now I'll be on the look our for it --Thanks!

Erica said...

that looks so good i might just have to put it on next weeks menu. thanks for sharing.

http://myfirst5k-erica.blogspot.com

Dana Fallentine said...

I love the langostino tails from Trader Joes. Quinoa.. an ancient food.. very healthy! Awesome recipe... than you for sharing!

claudia said...

never seen quinoa pasta here but I love creamy dishes.
I have to give a try even if I've never tried fish plus cheese^^

Jenn@slim-shoppin said...

I've never had lobster in mac and cheese and now I want some!

Good food finds, I'll have to check that out!

MrOrph said...

Hmmmm. "Good for you" mac & cheese? Well, I have to find that pasta. I will be rummaging around at Whole Paychex tomorrow so I will definitely be hunting it down.

Soooooo decadent.

Jennifer said...

love, love, love that quinoa pasta is available! I will not be making this recipe however as I am allergic to lobster.

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

I will have to try quinoa pasta soon. Love this and am bookmarking for my to do list.

maris said...

I love jazzing up mac and cheese but I've never tried lobster! Summer sounds like it might be a great time to whip this up!

Elyse said...

This mac 'n cheese looks amazing!! My boyfriend was seriously just staring at the screen, salivating, and asking if I could make this for him. Of course, I think it looks delicious, too. I can't wait to try it out! And I just love this quinoa pasta. Fabulous! Sorry that I’ve been an absent commenter; I just finished up my law school exams and am finally getting around to my google reader.

Big Shamu said...

This definitely qualifies as New Comfort Food. Can I still feel guilty about eating a lot of it?

Justin said...

wow, lobster.. that's taking something already great and making it even better. nice one. not sure i'm convinced about the quinoa pasta, but I should be a little more open-minded, huh?

Francie said...

I made it with shrimp - couldn't track down any lobster after visiting two grocery stores. But it was still yummy. Will try it again with the lobster!

Erica Layne | Let Why Lead said...

Mmmm, thanks for the great idea!

Clumbsy Cookie said...

I've never heared of quinoa pasta, but that's so smart!!! I love how you used it also!

cariqunyil said...

Velveeta? uggh. Havent touched it since I was a kid. There has to be something else we could substitute....

Sharon said...

cariqunyil, agreed. Velveeta is scary but really? It's oh-so-good. If you're afraid of the fake stuff, I'd just use all cheddar.

test it comm said...

Adding lobster to mac n cheese is a great idea! I also like the sound of the quinoa pasta. I will have to look for it.

foodcreate said...

Wow! I'm alway looking to combined
pasta! what a great recipe!
Thanks for sharing:)

And you can visit me if I can visit you:)

Welcome!
foodcreate.com

Rebeca said...

lobster + pasta + cheese = the best thing i've heard all day

and it's healthy!!

Chocolate Shavings said...

That sounds like my kind of Mac and cheese!

Molly said...

This looks absolutely delicious!! Thank you for sharing.

Stephanie said...

One time I made brownies with quinoa flour and they tasted okay, but had a horrible smell. I've never had that problem with regular quinoa. From your glowing post, I'm assuming the quinoa pasta didn't give off an odor. Looks delish!

Unknown said...

I've made this a few times and while it's delicious, I seem to have a hard time getting a smooth sauce. I had it going pretty well tonight, but when I added the langostino and peas it started to seize and separate. Anyone else have this problem? I feel like I should thaw them before adding, but since the recipe doesn't mention it I haven't done it...