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Home » American Recipes » Shrimp Mac and Cheese

Shrimp Mac and Cheese

By Hank Shaw on November 4, 2019, Updated August 2, 2022 - 15 Comments

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5 from 10 votes
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Rare is the day that I mix cheese and seafood, but shrimp mac and cheese is an exception.

These flavors work as well together as the more expensive lobster mac and cheese do: buttery, hearty, savory, with a crunchy breadcrumb crust, bound together in a homemade cheese sauce. And it all comes together in less than an hour. 

A platter of shrimp mac and cheese
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

The taboo against mixing cheese and fish or seafood is largely an Italian one, and I absorbed it growing up in a heavily Italian American-influenced New Jersey. Few other cultures observe this prohibition, and Americans of all stripes love lobster mac and cheese. Well, shrimp mac and cheese is more accessible, less expensive, and almost as good as the luxe original.

I used spot prawns I caught while in Alaska, but really any shrimp will work, as will crawfish, crab and yes, lobster. Shrimp mac is especially good with those little pink boreal shrimp from the northern oceans; those shrimp are also sustainably caught.

The key to any good mac and cheese is the cheese sauce, called a mornay in French cooking. It’s easy to make. You start with a flour-and-butter roux, cook it until it’s a beige, then mix in milk, half-and-half or, in this case, cream. Yes, cream is richer than milk, but with milk you risk it curdling if your pot is too hot. Cream is sturdier. If you do choose milk, it must be whole milk.

You then stir in shredded cheese, little by little, adding more when the previous handful has been incorporated into the sauce. What sort of cheese? I’m partial to a 50-50 mix of freshly grated cheddar and gruyere, plus a little grated pecorino or parmesan. I once used that pre-shredded “Mexican blend” of four cheeses and it was pretty good.

Whatever you use, make it a mix of cheeses, which tastes better.

How much sauce and how thick it is will be your call. I like enough to coat everything, but not so much that my shrimp mac and cheese is swimming in the sauce, the way Kraft mac and cheese turns out. If you want things saucy, add an additional cup of milk (or cream) to the sauce.

Traditional pasta is of course elbow macaroni, but any short pasta is fine; I used cavatappi. Do not mix different pastas, however, because many cook at different rates, and you want your pasta uniformly cooked. Err on the side of undercooking your pasta, since it will be baked, too. 

A serving of shrimp mac and cheese
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

This recipe makes a fair bit of shrimp mac and cheese, so if you have leftovers, reheat them in a microwave, or oven at 350°F until warmed through. It does not freeze well.

Looking for variations? Once fun way to switch things up would be to follow my recipe for green chile mac and cheese, and add shrimp.

A serving of shrimp mac and cheese
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Shrimp Mac and Cheese

This is an easy dinner that is a great riff of the classic lobster mac and cheese. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, but doesn't freeze well.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 1091kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1 pound elbows or other short pasta, cooked and drained
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small hot green chile (serrano), minced (optional)
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups cream
  • 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese, loosely packed
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, loosely packed
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 12 ounces shrimp, peeled
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the onion and sauté, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chile and garlic and sauté another minute. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Add the flour to the pan and mix it in well. Cook this, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until it browns a bit. Pour in the cream about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each time so that it's fully incorporated.
  • Do the same with all the cheeses, adding about 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring it in before adding more. Add salt and black pepper to taste, then mix in the cooked pasta and shrimp.
  • Move all this to a casserole dish; I like to grease mine with butter, but this is not strictly necessary. Pat the mac and cheese into the casserole and sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parsley over it all. If you feel like adding some other seasonings, like Cajun or Cavender's or somesuch, sprinkle maybe a teaspoon or two over everything now.
  • Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top browns. Remove and let it sit 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

NOTE: If you are using large shrimp, cut them into small pieces, and as I mentioned above, crawfish tails, crab or chopped lobster are all excellent alternatives. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1091kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Cholesterol: 363mg | Sodium: 968mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2427IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 916mg | Iron: 3mg
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Filed Under: American Recipes, Featured, Fish, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for ShaneShane says

    May 1, 2022 at 6:37 am

    I made this recipe for the first time using leftover lobster and it did not disappoint! I crushed up ritz crackers for the topping and sprinkled some Cajun seasoning it n top for some kick. I don’t know how I’m supposed to go back to regular Mac and cheese from now on…

    Reply
  2. Avatar for HeatherHeather says

    January 5, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    So damn tasty!! This will definitely be made again and again in our house!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Carrie AnneCarrie Anne says

    September 8, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    This was sooo good!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Lisa1883Lisa1883 says

    May 3, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    Thanks for sharing this easy to make recipe. My kids loved it and gave me a big thumbs up. Way better than Mac and cheese they say ?

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Brad ThompsonBrad Thompson says

    October 28, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    This was amazing. I am a Southern CA freediver and harvested a couple of CA spiny lobsters to use to substitute in for the shrimp. To say that this was over the top good is an understatement. Only other thing that I did differently was to boil the lobster carapaces, strain the water, and use that water to boil the pasta. I figured that was a better use of them than simply throwing away! Of course, I picked the joints clean of useable meat to throw in the pasta prior to discarding the boiled shells.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for BarbBarb says

    October 3, 2020 at 4:11 am

    Can this be made ahead of time and baked the following day?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      October 3, 2020 at 9:00 am

      Barb: I don’t know. I have never tried that.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for Dohyun YoonDohyun Yoon says

    June 30, 2020 at 8:06 am

    What temperature do you leave it at when you’re baking it?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 30, 2020 at 8:36 am

      Dohyun: See Step One. 350F.

      Reply
  8. Avatar for ChristineChristine says

    January 5, 2020 at 2:20 pm

    Cheezy Deliciousness!!!! So decadent… This is the first time I’ve made mac and cheese from scratch. The addition of shrimp makes this dish. It has to be the absolute best comfort food EVER! It’s earned a place in my favourite recipes.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Francesco GattiFrancesco Gatti says

    November 7, 2019 at 10:04 pm

    Mac and cheese, it’s my all-time favorite recipe. And it’s looking so much delicious with lots of cheese and creamy texture. Thank you so much for this lovely recipe.

    Reply
  10. Avatar for Bryan RakovecBryan Rakovec says

    November 6, 2019 at 4:23 am

    Use raw shrimp I assume?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      November 6, 2019 at 7:21 am

      Bryan: Yes, they cook as the mac and cheese bakes.

      Reply
  11. Avatar for RichardRichard says

    November 5, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    Step 3. Missed it. Thanks for the speedy reply and all the good work!

    Reply
  12. Avatar for RonRon says

    November 4, 2019 at 9:36 am

    Sounds wonderful and is on my list for “new recipes to try”. I would to suggest that you add alternate measures by weight for ingredients like the cheeses. The measurement could vary tremendously based on fineness of shredding and force used to pack the measuring cup.

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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