Crab Mac and Cheese

Looking for a delicious new twist on a classic recipe? This crab mac and cheese recipe will bring a classic comfort food to a whole new level!  

Jump to:

• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🍲 Cook the pasta
• 🥣 Make the bechamel sauce
• 🧀 Add the cheese and crab meat
• ⏲️ Bake it
• 📝 Recipe

I was cooking up some mac & cheese in my kitchen one day, when I had the idea to kick it up a notch and add something unexpected. There were a few cans of crab meat tucked away in the cabinet that I thought would make a perfect addition.

We were blown away by the combination of creamy, cheesy mac & cheese and the subtle sweet flavor of crab.  

Having grown up in New Jersey, I’ve always enjoyed rolling up my sleeves, cracking open some crab shells, and dipping the sweet meat into butter. The taste is so scrumptious!

This recipe calls for just two 6 ounce cans of crab meat, which will run you about $5 at the supermarket. The entire recipe will take about 1 hour from start to finish.

🧾 Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni
• Whole milk
• Unsalted butter
• All purpose flour
• Salt
• Cheddar cheese
• Pecorino Romano
• Crab meat
• Breadcrumbs

See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.

🍲 Cook the pasta

The first step is to cook your pasta in a pot of salted water and drain. Set aside.

🥣 Make the bechamel sauce

To make a bechamel sauce, melt butter in a pan over medium heat, just until it melts. Add flour and whisk together with butter for 3-4 minutes, until it turns a light golden color.  

Preheat oven to 425℉.

Next, increase temperature to medium-high and slowly add milk while whisking continuously. Cook for about 5 minutes, until sauce has thickened so it coats the back of a spoon. Add salt and whisk again.

🧀 Add the cheese and crab meat

Add both cheeses to the bechamel sauce and stir with a spoon until thoroughly mixed.

Open cans of crab meat and drain excess water. At this point, you may add the crab meat into the sauce, or add it together with the pasta.  

In your sauce pot or a large bowl, stir cooked pasta together with bechamel cheese sauce and crab meat until mixed well.

⏲️ Bake it

Transfer crab mac and cheese to a baking dish and sprinkle the top with homemade breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool a few minutes. Serve as a main dish, or as a side to steak or chicken.  

Absolutely delicious!  

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Did you make this Crab Mac and Cheese recipe? Let us know in the comments below!

📝 Recipe

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