Scallop Mac & Cheese
A nice way to dress up this favorite feel-good food is to add scallops. They transform mac and cheese into a sophisticated dish.—Laurie Lufkin, Essex, Massachusetts
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
- 1/2 cup butter, divided
- 1 cup French bread baguette crumbs
- 1 pound bay scallops
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sherry or chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Reviews
Amazing! We had odd things left in the freezer to use up before moving and I found this recipe (because I was using leftover freezer cheese I was not able to adhere strictly to types and ratios of cheese recommended); however, this dish was fabulous. There are some recipes that the ingredients truly mesh appropriately with the other ingredients. I did not expect this but at times when you have a portion of scallop in a bite it tastes so right. I agree with others that this is restaurant quality. I used half wine and sherry and half chicken broth when making this.
Restaurant Quality !!!!!!Amazing !!!!
This was fantastic! This is the kind of Mac & Cheese you would find in a fine dining restaurant! :)I used panko bread crumbs instead & baked it in one large baking dish instead of individual ramekins. Next time I would cut the scallops in 1/2 so there is more throughout the whole dish. Next time I'm thinking about using shrimp instead. Maybe either popcorn size or large shrimp chopped up.Will make again & again! Great way to impress company!
the flavor of this dish is excellent. elegant almost. i also reheats well
Just mad this to take to the beach. Put 4 in the freezer so wish me luck on freezing. My husband ate the 5th one and raved. I used shrimp instead of scallops, low fat cheddar and reg swiss, one cup skim milk and 1 cup half and half because I didn't have whole milk. Next time I'll use less butter to toast the bread crumbs but this recipe is to die for and will go in my recipe box as a special occasion meal.
I think it just needed a little more flavor. Its a little elaborate but nothing too crazy. My boyfriend loved it though!
One more comment: My hubby loved this and he's definitely more a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. Oh!!! And one more thing with my "makeover" suggestions...how about a little reduced-fat cream cheese? I'd start with 4 ounces and see what happens. Blessed cooking, everyone?
EXCELLENT AND VERY FUN TO MAKE!!!! Will make again. Next time, though, I want to try a reduced-fat "makeover". How 'bout chicken instead of scallops? Then get rid of the butter and use 1/8 C. olive oil for the bread crumbs and do the same for the rest of that kind of fat. For the whole milk, I'll try fat-free reconstituted evaporated milk or fat-free half & half. I'll check out the fat calories in reduced-fat cheese and do some changing there, too; probably one full-fat and the other reduced. Not sure what to do with the sherry...maybe just the 2 tablespoons? What do you all think...will these changes make a lot of difference? For the seafood lovers, maybe use shrimp instead of scallops? So much fun being in the kitchen actually making real food rather than dumping something out of a box with ingredients most of us can't even pronounce.
do I see my self eating it regularly? No but as a delicious treat. Is there any fit/active youth anymore? But where tastebuds are more evolved, it's excellent.
I used whole grain pasta for this and 2% cheese and skim milk. Stop complaining about the time it takes to prepare. Involve everyone's help and you will have quality family time. We spend that much time just trying to FIGURE out what to make. Excellent recipe.