Lobster Mac and Cheese Baked in Filo

Lobster Mac and Cheese Baked in Filo makes an elegant side dish, but it’s also hearty enough to serve as a main course! It’s an indulgent offering for holidays and special dinner parties.

Lately I’ve been exploring the savory side of baking and enjoying it immensely! There’s a whole new world of things to be wrapped in pie crusts, puffy pastry – or in this case, filo dough. Lobster Mac and Cheese is  a favorite here, so I decided to give it the ol’ pastry chef makeover. It’s just the thing to switch up the usual Thanksgiving side dishes, so I’m making it for our dinner this year.

A holy trinity of cheeses give the pasta its richness. Aged sharp cheddar adds a pleasant, pungent note while Gruyere brings bold nutty flavor. Mild and slightly sweet Colby cheese does a great job of rounding out the flavor of the other two cheeses.

We used claw meat for our version, which was easy to locate in our landlocked area, and – bonus!- the claws were thoughtfully scored for easy removal of the meat.

The easiest way to create the filo dough squares is to draw an 18×14-inch rectangle on two overlapping pieces of parchment paper. Brush the filo with butter as you layer and overlap the filo sheets inside the drawn rectangle. Once the rectangle is filled with the dough, cut it into six pieces. Gently push each square of filo into buttered 8-ounce ramekins.

Don’t worry if your filo tears or it doesn’t look like a perfectly shaped cup – these are rustic, and each cup will be a little piece of free-form art.

A sprinkle of buttered and toasted panko breadcrumbs adds even more crunch to the cups!

This recipe makes 12 cups, and each ramekin is considered a serving. If you don’t have 12 ramekins, you can bake these in two jumbo muffin tins.

I served these in the ramekins they were baked in, but turned out, you can fully appreciate the beauty of the golden filo pastry. We found the cups were easiest to eat using a fork and knife.

This was such a fun experiment – and a successful one! We absolutely loved this dish, and I hope you will too. I’m so excited to share these new savory dishes with you, and without straying too far from my pastry roots.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Or share your pictures on Instagram with the hashtag #sprinklebakessavory.

Lobster Mac and Cheese in Filo Cups

Heather Baird
Lobster Mac and Cheese Baked in Filo makes an elegant side dish, but it’s also hearty enough to serve as a main course! It’s an indulgent offering for holidays and special dinner parties.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

  • 12 ramekins 8 oz. capacity

Ingredients
 
 

  • 16 oz. 1 box elbow macaroni
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted; divided
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup 85g finely chopped shallots
  • 1/4 cup 30g all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups 700ml whole milk at room temperature
  • 1 cup 340g grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup 340g grams grated Colby cheese
  • 1 cup 340g grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup 20g minced fresh chives
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
  • 1 pound 450g cooked lobster meat, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup 150 grams panko bread crumbs
  • 16 sheets filo dough thawed

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water; drain well.
  • Place 4 tablespoons melted butter in a large cooking pot over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped shallots; cook until shallots begin to become softened and clear. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Increase heat to medium high and add the milk. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat, and whisk in cheeses until melted. Add Dijon mustard, chives, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Fold in lobster and pasta; stir until thoroughly mixed. Set aside until you’re ready to fill filo cups.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside 2 tablespoons melted butter to lightly brush inside of twelve 4×2-inch ramekins (8 ounce capacity). Reserve remaining butter to brush filo dough cups.
  • On a work surface, lightly brush 8 filo dough layers with butter as you overlap them into an 18×14-inch rectangle (or use 18×14-inch ready-made filo, which can be hard to find). Cut the rectangle into six square-ish pieces using a large, sharp chef’s knife. Press filo squares into ramekins, leaving corners to stick up over tops. Repeat process with remaining 8 sheets of filo dough. Brush insides of filo cups with melted butter, and spoon in lobster and pasta mixture into each one, filling just to top of ramekins.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, lightly toast panko until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat and let panko mixture cool for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over each filled filo cup. Transfer the ramekins to a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until filo is golden brown and the sauce bubbles. Let the cups stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Coastal Living Magazine.
Keyword filo dough, lobster, ramekins
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Roshini
Roshini
5 years ago

Looks Yummy! Love it!