Introduction

Get into the final comfort food with this Ruth’s Chris Lobster Mac and Cheese recipe. Prepared with delicate lobster, creamy cheeses, and baked pasta in gold, it is a rich restaurant-style dish that can be recreated at home.

When you eat in Ruth’s Chris Steak House, you will find out that it is not just all about the well-cooked steaks, but its exquisite side dishes are going to make your meal memorable. And in the culinary showcase of creamed spinach, au gratin spuds, and hot mushrooms, there is one dish that tends to get most of the attention: the Lobster Mac and Cheese.

It is dense, glutinous, lavish, and in some way extravagant in its best sense of that term. Honestly, it is the kind of food that leaves you wondering why not everyone can make mac and cheese this good at all times. Luckily, there is no need to book a table in a steakhouse (or buy an elegant chef jacket) to savor it. This fancy side dish can be prepared in the comfort of your home using only two lobster tails, good cheese, and some pantry items.

So what is special about Ruth’s Chris Lobster Mac and Cheese?

Mac and cheese is already the royalty of comfort food. Toss in lobster and you have comfort food in a tuxedo. It is corny, pasteurized, buttery, and then you get those mouthfuls of lobster that are sweet and tender, and they slice through all the richness. The mixture is sensual and yet not exotic, as an upscale change of something you already cherish.

Christopher of Ruth hits the nail on the head with a combination of cheeses: sharp cheddar lends its tanginess, gruyere adds a nutty touch, and parmesan provides that salty, umami touch. Then bake just till it bubbles and becomes that topping of gold and gooiness everybody fights over.

My First Tasting of Lobster Mac and Cheese.

The first time I ordered it at Ruth’s Chris, I actually was not planning on having any sides at all (I was trying to save room to have dessert, but that never works). However, when the server offered it as a list, my brain told me that I would regret not trying that.

Yes, it was so damn good that when I reached the table, the aroma alone made me lose all control. A single bite, make believe me it was no side, but the star of the meal. Lobster was tender and smooth, the cheese sauce was silky, and the top was crunchy, a paradise. I ate more mac and cheese than steak that night, and I have been seeking that flavor combination ever since.

Ingredients You’ll Need

2 lobster tails (cooked and chopped)
2 ½ cups cheddar cheese (freshly shredded and divided)
½ cup gruyere cheese (shredded)
½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
½ stick butter (about 4 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder (optional, adds a subtle tang)
½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Pepper to taste
½ pound elbow macaroni pasta (cooked)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven

Set your oven to 400°F (205°C). Wet a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray to ensure nothing sticks to it later.

2. Cook the Lobster

On a large grill or grill pan, heat over high flame with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake lobster tails approximately 10 minutes (for different size it takes different time). The shells are supposed to be bright red and the meat opaque. Peel, allow to cool, and cut the lobster into bitesizes.

3. Boil the Pasta

Bake your elbow macaroni to the package instructions until it is just al dente. Bear in mind that it will continue to cook in the oven a bit more. Drain and set aside.

4. Make the Cheese Sauce

The butter should be melted in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour and stir on a medium level until it becomes a paste (now your roux).

Gradually add the milk in small portions. The slower it is added, the more creamy and thicker the sauce is. After the milk has been added, add the cheeses which are to be topped with – cheddar, gruyere and parmesan. Keep back a small amount of each.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth and creamy.

5. Combine Everything

Add the cooked lobster and the macaroni to the sauce. Remember to coat all pieces in that smooth cheese sauce.

6. Bake

Pour all into your ready baking dish. Pour in the reserved cheeses on top. Bake about 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

7. Serve

Allow several minutes to cool (this is difficult, I know) before serving. As the sauce rests, it becomes somewhat thicker and scoopable.

Why This Recipe Works

The three-cheese board: Cheddar offers crispness, gruyere is a nice touch of sophistication with nuts, and parmesan completes the deal with a savory taste.

The lobster option: Sweet lobster meat will turn mac and cheese into a steakhouse dish.

The baked top: That top golden and bubbly is the jewel in the crown.

Best Ruth’s Chris Lobster Mac and Cheese tips.

Don’t overcook the lobster. It can cook on just 10 minutes on the grill. Lobster that is overcooked becomes chewy.
Cook pasta al dente. Being baked once more, slightly undercooked pasta will not get too mushy.
Season the sauce well. Savour along the way–cheese is salty, but feel free to add pepper and spices.
Use fresh cheese. Honestly it melts much better than shreds.
Let it rest. Allowing it 5-10 minutes to settle after baking will allow the sauce to not be runny.

Final Thoughts

You would think that recreating Ruth’s Chris Lobster Mac and Cheese at home would be a complex process, but it is not, and the Mac and Cheese meal was nothing short of luxury in a baking dish. It is rich, cheese-filled, luxurious, and completely memorable, a food that you serve during special occasions, holidays, or on those days that you feel like just spoiling yourself.

With every bite of it, one gets the perfect texture of creamy and cheesy gravy, tender pasta, and sweet lobster in a crunchy and golden shell that leaves one unable to take a single bite.

To tell the truth, it is one of those recipes that leave you wondering why we do not add lobster to mac and cheese regularly.

Next time you feel like having a taste of steakhouse luxury, you don’t need to make the reservation; just prepare this dish in your own house. Serve it with a plain steak or eat it alone; either way, it will steal the show.

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