Crab Mac And Cheese

Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check my disclosure

We are a family of mac and cheese lovers. My husband used to maintain the only mac and cheese he ever wanted to eat was the Kraft one out of a box.

Thankfully I have converted him to homemade macaroni and cheese and this version with crab is currently our favourite!

I have Nigella to thank for this idea… Nigella’s Crab Mac ‘n’ Cheese caught my eye the minute I leafed through her book Cook Eat Repeat.

And while her recipe is undeniably yummy, my version is actually easier, contains no flour but is just as deliciously creamy!

Crab Mac and Cheese Ingredients

Most macaroni and cheese recipes combine pasta with a roux-based cheese sauce. My recipe cooks the macaroni right in the sauce – less washing up is always a win in my book! A Chef’s pan with a lid is ideal for this recipe.

• Butter
• Elbow macaroni or you can use other smallish pasta shapes.
• Chicken stock made using stock cubes or you can use chicken broth from a can. Check it is gluten free if that is a concern.
• Tomato paste and a little Sriracha for a hint of spice. If you can find tomato pesto then use that instead!
• Sweet paprika, smoked paprika, nutmeg and garlic salt
• Cream cheese – I used Boursin Garlic and Herb but you can use Philadelphia if preferred
• Grated cheese – I used a four cheese mix of cheddar, Edam, mozzarella and Monteray jack cheese plus grated Parmesan. You can use just grated cheddar and Parmesan if you like.
• Crab meat – I used canned lump crab meat. You can use fresh if you like.

How to Make Crab Mac and Cheese

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Heat the butter in a large lidded pan. Add the macaroni once it has melted and stir to coat. Add half the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Stir in the tomato paste, Sriracha and seasonings. Continue to cook the pasta, stirring occasionally and topping up the stock gradually as it gets absorbed.

Stir in the cream cheese until it melts into the sauce.

Check the pasta is cooked but with a bit of bite (al dente). Stir in the shredded cheese, adding a little more of the stock until you have a lovely creamy consistency.

Stir in the crab to heat through. Check the seasoning – it shouldn’t need any salt but add pepper and the chilli flakes. Serve immediately!

Recipe Tips

• I haven’t added any additional salt as the stock and cheese add plenty. Taste before serving to see if you need to add some.
• You can serve this mac and cheese without the crab if you prefer. Or you can replace the crab with lobster meat – incredibly delicious but, alas, quite pricy.
• Add a little water or milk when reheating leftovers.

You Will Also Like…

• Chicken and Chorizo Pasta
• Crab Linguine – Ready in 15 Minutes!
• ‘Krabby patty’ – Crab Burger
• Cajun Chicken Orzo

HAVE YOU MADE MY CRAB MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with the tag @supergolden88 #Nusde or save it to Pinterest and make my day!