Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese And Balsamic Roasted Vegetables. New Music From Steve Van Tine.

I was having dinner guests and wanted to make something quite special, but easy enough to keep me out of the kitchen. This menu of Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese And Balsamic Roasted Vegetables was just perfect.

The Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese is a total revelation. Four cheeses come together in a creamy sauce laced with white wine. This coats the pasta and pieces of rich, tender lobster, while a crisp panko topping seals it all in.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables are perfect alongside the mac cheese. The acidity of the vinegar is a good counter to the ultra rich pasta and the colorful array of veggies look so pretty on the plate.

Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese

Ingredients:

3 uncooked lobster tails, fresh or thawed if frozen
1 1/2 lbs macaroni or other pasta shape (I used Campanelle)
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup white wine, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped shallot
3 minced garlic cloves
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Shell, clean, and coarsely chop lobster meat. Set aside.

2. Add 2 cups of heavy cream to a double boiler along with the cream cheese. Add a small amount of the shredded cheese to the double boiler, mixing with a whisk until smooth. Continue this way to add the rest of the cheese. If cheese mixture is too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup of white wine, in 1/4 cup increments.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

4. Add olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high. Add shallot, garlic and lobster meat and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until meat becomes opaque. Add 1/4 cup of the white wine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes then set aside off heat.

5. In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, mix together cooked pasta, lobster mixture and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with Panko.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Serves 8

Recipe from How Sweet It Is

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 oz broccoli florets
7 oz cauliflower florets
8 oz yellow Summer squash, chopped
8 oz zucchini, chopped
7 oz carrots, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425℉. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the vegetables. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the vegetables and season with salt. Toss to coat.

3. Pour vegetables onto the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until caramelized.

Serves 6

Recipe from Emily Bites