Shrimp Mac And Cheese For A Decadent Seafood Dinner Feast

Creamy macaroni and cheese studded with succulent shrimp, creating the perfect marriage of comfort food and seafood.

Updated Nov 21, 2024, 08:28 PM IST

Shrimp mac and cheese elevates the classic comfort food by combining tender, succulent shrimp with creamy, cheesy pasta. The natural sweetness of shrimp perfectly complements the rich, savoury cheese sauce.

Mac and cheese has ancient roots, with the earliest known recipe appearing in a 13th-century Italian cookbook called "Liber de Coquina." The recipe, called "de lasanis," featured pasta and parmesan cheese. The dish made its way to England and France, where it evolved into what we know today. Thomas Jefferson famously served macaroni and cheese at state dinners after encountering the dish in Paris, helping popularise it in America.

The key to great shrimp mac and cheese lies in the proper preparation of both components. The pasta, typically elbow macaroni, should be cooked just until al dente, as it will continue cooking slightly in the cheese sauce. The shrimp should be seasoned well and cooked until just pink - overcooking will make them tough and rubbery. Many recipes call for garlic or Cajun spices to enhance the shrimp's flavour.

This dish hits all the right notes: it's filling, satisfying, and feels special enough for company while being completely doable for a weeknight dinner. The combination of tender pasta, plump shrimp, and rich cheese sauce creates a balanced meal that's hard to resist. Leftovers reheat well, though the sauce may need a splash of milk to become creamy again.

Garlic Shrimp Mac and Cheese - Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Tender macaroni noodles and juicy shrimp bathed in a creamy cheese sauce made with Britannia The Laughing Cow Cheezza Block. The dish combines homestyle comfort with coastal flair.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredients
200 gms	Macaroni pasta
250 gms	Britannia The Laughing Cow Cheezza Block, grated
200 gms	Shrimp (cleaned, deveined)
1 tbsp	Olive oil
3 tbsp	Butter, divided
2	Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp	Paprika
2 tbsp	Plain flour
300 ml	Milk
To taste	Salt and black pepper
For garnish	Fresh parsley

Method

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook 200 g macaroni until al dente, then drain and set aside.
In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp butter. Add minced garlic and 1 tsp paprika, sautéing until fragrant. Add the 200 g shrimp, cooking until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp plain flour, stirring continuously to create a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and golden, which will remove any raw flour taste.
Gradually pour 300 ml milk into the roux, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
Lower the heat and add the 250 gms grated Britannia The Laughing Cow Cheezza Block to the sauce. Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Add the cooked pasta and shrimp to the pan with the cheese sauce, stirring to combine evenly.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

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