Shrimp Mac and Cheese – Basil Butter

OK, so I know what you are probably thinking..yes I live in Wisconsin and we put cheese on everything but wait if you have ever had lobster mac and cheese than this isn’t too crazy!! (right?) If you’ve been following me you know on Friday’s it’s “Fish Friday” and that also encompasses seafood, hey trying to keep it simple folks! I made a commitment about a year or so ago that on Friday’s we are eating fish or seafood…we don’t have to wait for lent to indulge. Not to mention my carb loving, steak eating, cheese-head family could use a little bit of change up to the menu. This commitment has stretched me a bit and I am always looking for a new recipe to try. During this time of quarantine and job loss I am really needing to find recipes that don’t break the bank, and although I love lobster mac and cheese (my stepmother makes a killer one, I’ll post that at a later time) I just simply can’t afford it. To my surprise, the shrimp was excellent compromise and the whole family really enjoyed it. I would make this again in a heart beat and when my pocketbook is a bit fuller I would add scallops but we’re getting off topic. This recipe makes a 9×13 pan full of goodness so make sure you have a crowd or you want to eat leftovers for a week, as I don’t suggest freezing it. Also, don’t be afraid to make different cheese choice adjustments. I saw a lot of recipes using Gruyere which I think would be excellent but Asiago, Parmesan, and Sharp cheddar are staples in this household so I just used what I had.

Ingredients:

1# of elbow pasta cooked, rinsed, and drained
1 stick of unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic minced
5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups of whole milk
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 cups of Asiago cheese
2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar (Put aside 1/2 cup of cheddar to top dish off)
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1# of shrimp peeled and roughly chopped
4 tablespoons of fresh parsley (Put aside 2 tablespoons of parsley to top off dish)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat butter in a large pan(a big enough pan to mix a pound of pasta in) over medium high heat. When butter is bubbling add onion and saute, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add flour to the pan and mix in well. Cook this, stirring often for 5 minutes until the flour butter sauce is a bit brown. Pour in milk a 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated, then add heavy whipping cream. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and only 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley (we are going to save the remaining to top off dish when done.) Next fold in the cheese (save 1/2 cup of the cheddar to top off), add shrimp and pasta and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with 1/2 cup of reserved cheddar cheese and parsley.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and let stand 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.

Enjoy,

XOXOXOXO Jessi