Smoked Mac and Cheese With Seafood
This Smoked Mac and Cheese combines shrimp, imitation crab, scallops, and four cheeses for a rich, smoky twist on a classic favorite.
Let’s make a creamy smoked mac and cheese loaded with seafood.
This recipe for seafood smoked mac and cheese is your new brag-worthy dish. Packed with succulent shrimp, sweet imitation crab, and tender scallops, this dish is creamy, smoky, and utterly indulgent. I add four cheese: Gruyère, sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and Gouda. Then I top it with a garlic bread crumb topping. What?! I know how good that sounds. It is that good.
Here’s why I love this smoked mac and cheese!
- Seafood twist: The addition of shrimp, crab, and scallops makes this dish extra special.
- Four-cheese blend: The combination of Gruyère, Gouda, sharp cheddar, and Parmesan creates an ultra-creamy sauce.
- Smoky flavor: Smoking the dish infuses it with a subtle, woodsy flavor that perfectly complements the seafood.
- Crunchy topping: The garlic bread crumb topping adds a satisfying crunch to every bite.
I hope you love it! Please let me know how it went.
Step by Step Process for Making Smoked Seafood Mac and Cheese
- Heat Smoker to 240°F.
- Roast Garlic: Drizzle a garlic head with oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 35-40 min.
- Caramelize Onions: Cook sliced onions in butter over medium heat until browned (20-30 min).
- Cook Pasta: Boil al dente, rinse with cold water, set aside.
- Make Sauce: Add carmalized onions and roasted garlic in butter, whisk in flour, add cream, simmer.
- Add Seafood & Cheese: Stir in shrimp, crab, cheddar, and Gruyère until melted.
- Assemble: Layer mac and cheese in a foil pan with Gouda, sour cream, paprika, and Parmesan.
- Smoke: Smoke for 2 hours.
- Sear Scallops & Make Breadcrumbs: Sear scallops, chop, toast breadcrumbs in butter.
- Finish & Serve: Add scallops, top with breadcrumbs, smoke 15 more min. Rest 10 min, enjoy!
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Smoked Mac and Cheese With Seafood
This Smoked Mac and Cheese combines shrimp, imitation crab, scallops, and four cheeses for a rich, smoky twist on a classic favorite.
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic
- 1 whole head of garlic
- ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
Caramelized Onion
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ thinly sliced onion
Mac and Cheese
- 1 lb uncooked pasta (16 oz, elbow or cellentani)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk (or heavy cream)
- 2 tbsp paprika
- ¼ lb cooked shrimp (chopped)
- ¼ lb imitation crab (chopped)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 cup gruyere cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup gouda cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ lb scallops
Garlic Bread Topping
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp butter (melted)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Slice off the top of 1 whole head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle with ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast for 35-40 minutes until soft and golden brown. Let it cool until you can handle it, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins. Chop and set aside.
- While garlic is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat with 4 tbsp butter. Add ½ thinly sliced onion and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, until they’re deeply browned and sweet.
- Set up your smoker and heat it to 240℉ using your preferred wood.
- When onions are done, boil 1 lb uncooked pasta in salted water for one minute less than the package directions, aiming for a very al dente texture. Be cautious not to overcook, as the pasta will continue to cook for an additional 2 hours in the smoker. Strain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp butter. Add carmalized onions and roasted chopped garlic. Incorporate 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Whisk in ¼ cup flour. Continue whisking for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gradually add 4 cups whole milk, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to cook while whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens a little bit.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add ¼ lb cooked shrimp, ¼ lb imitation crab, 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese and 1 cup gruyere cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
- Spoon half of the macaroni and cheese into the prepared foil pan. Evenly place 1 cup gouda cheese over the mac and cheese. Spread 1 cup sour cream over the gouda. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp paprika and then top with the remaining macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle with ¼ cup parmesan cheese.
- Smoke uncovered for 2 hours at 240℉.
- When the macaroni has 25 minutes left, melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet. Add ¼ lb scallops and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Chop and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter. Add 2 cloves of garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add 1 cup bread crumbs, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and cook until bread crumbs are toasted.
- Stir the scallops into the macaroni. Top with breadcrumb mixture and continue to smoke for another 15 minutes before removing it from the smoker.
- Let the mac and cheese rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Notes
No smoker? Bake in the oven at 350°F, adding a touch of liquid smoke to the cheese sauce for that signature flavor.
Cook pasta al dente: Avoid mushy pasta by undercooking it slightly.
Use high-quality cheese: Freshly grated cheese melts better and gives the sauce a smooth texture.
Substitutions
Cheese swaps: Try Fontina, Monterey Jack, or cream cheese for a twist.
Seafood alternatives: Substitute with smoked salmon, white fish, or even pre-cooked lobster.
Seafood alternatives: Substitute with smoked salmon, white fish, or even pre-cooked lobster.
Nutrition
Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 22gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 912mgPotassium: 349mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 33IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 5mg
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Amazing recipe
I am the recipe creator. If I got a dollar for everytime my husband said “This is so good” I would be a millionaire. Its so creamy and I love a good creamy smoked mac n cheese.