LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE

1 quart whole milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup flour, all-purpose
8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (Cracker Barrel will work)
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated
1 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Sea salt
1 pound penne pasta or elbow macaroni
2 pounds fresh lobster meat (I ordered from Maine Lobster Now)
1 1/2 cups plain Panko bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the milk in a small saucepan but do not bring it to a boil. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook over very low heat, whisking for about 2 minutes until the flour is cooked but not browned. Add the milk a little at a time whisking constantly until thickened. The key here is for the sauce to be smooth and not lumpy. (If all else fails, you can strain the sauce to get the lumps out). Take off the heat and add the cheddar, gruyere, and fontina, ricotta cheese, plus the nutmeg and 1 tablespoon salt.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Bring a large pot of salted water (1 tablespoon salt) to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to directions on the package, making sure not to overcook!!! Drain.

Grease a large pyrex baking dish (9x13) or bigger. Combine the lobster meat with the cheese sauce mixture. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle the Panko over the dish and then the parmesan cheese over the Panko.

Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is slightly browned. (About 30+ minutes).

*In reading recipes for mac and cheese, everyone has their own take…whether or not to do a bechamel sauce, or just use cream instead…I think it is fun to try different versions. For this dish, because I was using lobster I wanted it to be as rich and creamy as possible! It was a definite success as most guests went back for seconds!