Recreate One Of Ruth's Chris Signature Sides At Home: Copycat...

Recreate One Of Ruth's Chris Signature Sides At Home: Copycat Ruth's Chris Lobster Mac & Cheese Recipe

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

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What pasta dish is over-the-top rich, creamy, and decadent, loaded with melted cheese and topped with lobster? If you guessed Ruth's Chris Lobster macaroni and cheese, you'd be right. This indulgent dish is a popular side staple on the steakhouse chain's menu, making for a natural pairing with a juicy steak main course.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat recipe that allows you to make Ruth's Chris famous lobster macaroni and cheese right at home. A little educated guessing went into this recipe, since the restaurant isn't spilling on the exact ingredients they use. We do know that the dish features a three-cheese sauce with white cheddar, and this recipe specifically uses white cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan for a combination of melty, sharp, creamy, and nutty flavors all in one. The shredded cheeses are added to a roux made from butter, flour, and milk, but you can sub heavy cream if you want it even richer. The macaroni and cheese is delicious on its own, but topping it with tender steamed lobster is the icing on the cake, so to speak, taking it from a good pasta dish to something truly special.

Gather your copycat Ruth's Chris lobster macaroni and cheese ingredients

Lobster macaroni and cheese ingredients on table

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

For this recipe, you'll need lobster tails to start. They often come frozen from the store, so make sure they're completely thawed before you start cooking. You'll also need cavatappi pasta (they look like corkscrews), butter, all-purpose flour, whole milk, and salt (bring the milk to room temperature before you begin). The cheeses the recipe calls for are white cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan. Yellow cheddar tastes the same, so you can sub that if needed. Finally, grab some fresh chives for topping.

Step 1: Prepare the steamer

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Heat up to 1 inch of water in a large covered pot with a steamer basket inside.

Step 2: Steam the lobster

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Once the water is steaming, place the lobster tails in the basket, recover the pot, and steam for 6-8 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135 F.

Step 3: Prepare an ice bath

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Step 4: Cool the lobster tails

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Remove the lobster tails from the pan and place them in the ice bath for about 5 minutes to cool.

Step 5: Open the lobster tails

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Drain the lobster tails and open them by cutting down the underside with shears. Separate the meat from the shell by pulling the sides of the shell away and pulling the meat out.

Step 6: Chop the lobster meat

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Roughly chop the meat and set it aside.

Step 7: Boil the water

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Step 8: Cook the pasta

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Cook the pasta to an al dente consistency according to the package directions.

Step 9: Preheat the oven

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Step 10: Mix the cheeses

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Place the 3 kinds of shredded cheese in a large bowl and toss to mix them evenly. Transfer ½ cup of the cheese into a separate small bowl. Set both bowls aside.

Step 11: Melt the butter

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium-low.

Step 12: Whisk in the flour

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

When the butter is hot, add the flour and whisk continuously for about 45 seconds.

Step 13: Add the milk

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Pour in the milk and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Step 14: Add the cheeses

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Add the cheese from the large bowl to the pan 1 handful at a time, stirring between each addition until mostly melted, and then stir for about 1-2 minutes until all the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt at the end.

Step 15: Mix the pasta and cheese sauce

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Drain the pasta, put it back in the empty pot, and pour the cheese sauce on top. Stir until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.

Step 16: Transfer mac and cheese to a baking dish

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Transfer the pasta to a medium greased baking dish.

Step 17: Add the lobster

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Arrange the chopped lobster on top of the pasta.

Step 18: Sprinkle on the remaining cheese

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Sprinkle the reserved ½ cup of shredded cheese on top of the mixture.

Step 19: Bake the mac and cheese

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 20: Serve the copycat Ruth's Chris lobster macaroni and cheese

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with the chopped chives sprinkled on top.

Pairs well with copycat Ruth's Chris lobster mac & cheese

Our copycat Ruth's Chris lobster mac and cheese recipe captures all the decadence of the restaurant version -- perfect for pairing with a steak dinner at home.

lobster macaroni and cheese on table

Total time: 1 hour, 4 minutes

2 (6-ounce) lobster tails, thawed completely if frozen
½ pound cavatappi pasta
2 tablespoons butter
3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole milk, room temperature
2 cups shredded white cheddar
¾ cup shredded Gruyere
½ cup shredded Parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped chives for topping

Heat up to 1 inch of water in a large covered pot with a steamer basket inside.
Once the water is steaming, place the lobster tails in the basket, recover the pot, and steam for 6-8 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135 F.
Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
Remove the lobster tails from the pan and place them in the ice bath for about 5 minutes to cool.
Drain the lobster tails and open them by cutting down the underside with shears. Separate the meat from the shell by pulling the sides of the shell away and pulling the meat out.
Roughly chop the meat and set it aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta to an al dente consistency according to the package directions.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place the 3 kinds of shredded cheese in a large bowl and toss to mix them evenly. Transfer ½ cup of the cheese into a separate small bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium-low.
When the butter is hot, add the flour and whisk continuously for about 45 seconds.
Pour in the milk and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes until thickened.
Add the cheese from the large bowl to the pan 1 handful at a time, stirring between each addition until mostly melted, and then stir for about 1-2 minutes until all the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt at the end.
Drain the pasta, put it back in the empty pot, and pour the cheese sauce on top. Stir until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.
Transfer the pasta to a medium greased baking dish.
Arrange the chopped lobster on top of the pasta.
Sprinkle the reserved ½ cup of shredded cheese on top of the mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with the chopped chives sprinkled on top.

Calories per Serving	792
Total Fat	40.3 g
Saturated Fat	22.9 g
Trans Fat	0.0 g
Cholesterol	223.3 mg

Total Carbohydrates	54.6 g
Dietary Fiber	2.0 g
Total Sugars	6.5 g
Sodium	1,136.3 mg
Protein	50.7 g

The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

What tips do I need to know to make lobster macaroni and cheese?

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

When working with either fresh or thawed from frozen lobster, make sure you're cooking it right away and that the meat isn't sitting at room temperature for too long. Lobsters are often cooked alive to avoid having raw lobster meat sit out at length. We recommend using frozen (and thawed) lobster tails for this recipe, but if you want to use live lobsters, brush up on the various ways to cook perfect lobster and look into humane ways to kill the crustaceans before commencing with the recipe.

As for cooking the pasta, keep it al dente so it doesn't get mushy after the additional cooking time in the oven. The same goes for steaming the lobster tails –- don't give them extra time. Use room temperature milk to avoid shocking the roux with cold liquid. Add the cheese to the milk slowly, a small handful at a time, and stir until it's mostly melted before adding the next handful. When all the cheese is in, stir until the sauce is completely smooth and melted. Shred the cheese yourself, because packaged pre-shredded cheese contains additives to keep it from clumping, but they also keep it from melting as well as block cheese. Remember to save some cheese for topping for extra cheese pulls and a browned top.

Can I make lobster mac and cheese ahead?

If you want to make this dish ahead of time, you can follow the recipe as written up to the baking step. Don't preheat the oven or bake the dish. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days until you're ready. To be clear, the whole dish won't be baked ahead with this method, but the lobster-steaming element will be taken care of, along with the initial boiling of the pasta and making of the sauce. When you're ready, bake the dish as the recipe indicates and serve. We recommend this method when making it ahead, but we know that means you'll need to wait for it to bake (and use possibly precious oven space) the day you want to enjoy it.

Another option is to not just prep the dish but bake it ahead of time too. You'll still need to use the oven to reheat it before serving, but it won't take as long. Preheat the oven to 325 or 350 F and pop the dish in to warm up for 10-15 minutes until heated through (compared to 20-25 minutes for the original bake). There is a risk of overcooking the lobster, but we understand it can be more convenient this way. We don't recommend reheating leftovers in the microwave — it's too easy to overcook it and end up with tough, rubbery lobster.