Seafood Mac and Cheese combines tender shrimp and scallops with creamy, Cajun-spiced cheese sauce for the ultimate comfort dish.
Ready in under an hour, this bubbling casserole rewards minimal prep with restaurant-level richness and crowd-pleasing flavor.
Ingredients
Bay scallops – sweet, bite-size morsels that stay juicy when quickly seared.
Shrimp – adds meaty texture; de-veined and tail-off keeps every forkful fuss-free.
Cavatappi pasta – corkscrews hold onto sauce, delivering more creamy goodness in each bite.
Unsalted butter – the foundation of a silky roux without extra salt.
All-purpose flour – thickens the milk into velvety béchamel.
Whole milk & half-and-half – double-dairy blend for body and luxurious mouthfeel.
Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar & Pecorino Romano – a trio that melts smoothly, balances sharpness, and finishes with a salty kick.
Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne & garlic powder – layer smoky heat and bold Southern personality.
Making Your Seafood Mac and Cheese
Brown the seasoned shrimp and scallops until just opaque, then set aside. Boil cavatappi to al dente. Whisk butter and flour into a roux, stream in hot milk, and thicken until it coats a spoon. Season, melt in the cheeses, and fold pasta plus seafood into the sauce. Transfer to a baking dish, blanket with remaining cheese, and broil until the top blisters golden. Serve piping hot.
Tips & Variations
For extra depth, swap half the shrimp for lump crab meat added after baking so it stays delicate.
Love crunch? Scatter buttered panko over the final cheese layer before broiling.
Adjust heat by dialing cayenne up or down, or replace it with smoky chipotle powder for a subtler burn.
Using frozen seafood?
Thaw overnight in the fridge and blot dry to avoid watery sauce.
Storing Seafood Mac and Cheese Leftovers
Cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Reheat covered in a 180 °C (350 °F) oven until bubbling, stirring once for even warming.
Freeze individual portions for one month; thaw overnight and refresh with a splash of milk before reheating to restore creaminess.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Yes—elbows, shells, or rigatoni all trap sauce well; keep the weight the same for best texture.
What if I only have salted butter?
Use it, but reduce added Kosher salt by ¼ teaspoon and season to taste at the end.
Is there a lighter dairy option?
Whole milk is key for richness, but you can replace half-and-half with evaporated milk to cut some fat without sacrificing body.
How do I avoid rubbery seafood?
Sear just until seafood turns opaque; it finishes gently while the casserole broils, staying tender instead of overcooking.
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
- ¾ lb bay scallops
- ¾ cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese divided
- 2 – 3 cups dried cavatappi pasta 8 – 12 oz
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika seafood
- 1 teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning* sauce
- 2 cups whole milk heated
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¾ lb uncooked shrimp deveined, tails removed
- ¾ cup half-and-half
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning seafood
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper seafood
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika sauce
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt seafood
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt sauce
Instructions
- Combine scallops, shrimp, salt-free Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and Kosher salt in a bowl, tossing until every piece is evenly coated.
- Warm a skillet over medium-high heat, swirl in the olive oil, then sear the seafood until browned and opaque—about 1 ½–2 minutes per side—before transferring it to a plate.
- Bring a generously salted pot of water to a rolling boil, cook the cavatappi to al dente according to the package, drain, and, if the sauce is not yet ready, lightly oil the pasta to prevent sticking.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the whole milk and half-and-half until steaming but not boiling.
- In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook—whisking constantly—until the roux turns light caramel, roughly 3–4 minutes; reduce the heat.
- Gradually pour in the hot milk mixture while whisking; the sauce will loosen as all the liquid is incorporated.
- Return the heat to medium, whisk until the béchamel thickens enough to coat a spoon (3–5 minutes), then lower the flame.
- Season the sauce with Kosher salt, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and smoked paprika, adjusting to taste.
- Stir in all the Monterey Jack, plus ½ cup each of cheddar and Pecorino, until fully melted; if it thickens excessively, temper with a splash of warm milk.
- Fold the cheese sauce and sautéed seafood into the pasta, holding back about 1 cup of noodles to fine-tune the consistency; add the reserved pasta only if the mixture feels overly loose.
- Transfer the mac and cheese to a deep-dish pie plate or 9 × 9 in casserole, scatter the remaining cheddar and Pecorino over the top, and broil 4–5 minutes until the surface blisters to a golden finish. Serve immediately.