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Shrimp Baked Mac n Cheese

Sometimes you gotta adjust! This was supposed to be a lobster mac, but Trader Joe's Argentinian shrimp made for an excellent alternative. 
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb cavatappi (or elbows or any tube shaped pasta)
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/3 c all purpose flour do not recommend using whole wheat because of the texture
  • 2 c whole milk
  • 2 c heavy whipping cream see notes
  • 2.5 c shredded white cheddar cheese
  • 2.5 c shredded Gruyere cheese
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 lb shrimp, chopped thawed if frozen & tails removed
  • 3/4 c panko
  • 3/4 c seasoned bread crumbs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350. Lightly spray a 3 qt baking dish or au gratin pan with cooking spray and set aside. 
  • Grate/shred cheeses and set aside. 
  • Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, minus 1 minute. Drain. 
  • While the pasta is cooking, start the roux by melting 6 tbsp of butter in a saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. 
  • Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour into the butter; whisk until the mixture is bubbly and golden, about 1 minute.
  • To the butter and flour mixture, gradually whisk in the heavy cream and milk. Continue whisking until you see bubbles; continue to cook and whisk for 2 minutes. 
  • Add half the cheese and whisk until smooth and melted. Then, add the second half of the cheese and whisk until smooth and melted. 
  • Add salt & pepper, to taste.
  • Add in cooked pasta, stirring until combined. 
  • Add in chopped shrimp; stir until combined.
  • Pour mixture into baking dish, set aside. 
  • In a medium pan, melt remaining 6 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Once melted, add panko and bread crumbs until well coated in butter. 
  • Top your pasta with the panko-bread crumb mixture. 
  • Bake about 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the panko crumbs are golden brown. If they start to brown too quickly, top the baking dish with a piece of foil to prevent burning. 

Notes

  • I used a 3 qt Le Creuset Gratin baking dish
  • To shred the cheese, I used my food processor with the cheese grater attachment, which I've never done before, but it was so easy! 
  • You can also do 1 cup of heavy cream and 3 cups of whole milk, rather than 2 & 2. 
  • I used Trader Joe's Argentinian shrimp, which I let thaw. I put them into the pasta raw.
  • I made the pasta while I was making the roux to keep things moving. Just have all your ingredients prepared ahead of time!
Keyword mac n cheese, pasta, pasta sauce, shrimp