We all know what the traditional Thanksgiving plate looks like: slices of fresh carved turkey covered in gravy, a heaping mound of mashed potatoes, some stuffing, green bean casserole, a splash of cranberry sauce, and maybe some sweet potatoes mixed in with marshmallows. Every year I try and incorporate a new dish onto the dinner table and this year it comes from one of Dishing’s latest retreats to northern California. The Dishing Crew grabbed a great recipe for Dungeness Crab Mac n’ Cheese from Nick’s Cove in Point Reyes CA.
This mac n’ cheese features everything delicious including a little spice, some crunch, gooey cheese and crab meat. Adding this dish to the table will be a crowd pleaser for sure. Make this for tomorrow’s dinner or save it to be the star of the dinner plate down the road. 
Nick’s Cove Dungeness Crab Mac n’ Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 pounds dried elbow macaroni pasta
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, white part only, sliced
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1/2 gallon heavy cream
- 1 cup Point Reyes Toma cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Spring Hill cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded
- Salt
- Tabasco
- 1/4 lemon, juiced
- 1 pound Dungeness crab meat
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 3 gallons of water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and boil, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In another large pot, begin melting butter. Add the leeks and sweat 5-10 minutes, until soft. Add the flour. Stir constantly; cook until the mixtures bubbles for 2-3 minutes and smells like shortbread. Add the milk and bring to a boil; reduce to simmer. Allow the mixture to reduce while simmering, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cream and again allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add all the cheese and whisk until incorporated. Add salt to taste, followed by 3-5 drops of Tabasco sauce and the juice of a lemon quarter. Pour over the pasta and add crab meat, stirring to incorporate. Serve with parsley and toasted breadcrumbs.
