A cross between mac ‘n cheese and stuffed shells, this dish has fantastic flavor as well as luxurious looks — and you don’t have to bother with any tedious stuffing. Just toss bite-sized shells with rich, creamy Alfredo sauce and sweet crabmeat, fill up individual baking dishes, then sprinkle on cheese and bread crumbs before broiling.
Makes
6 servings
Total Time
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Ingredients
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Test Kitchen Approved
You can make and assemble these casseroles in the morning, then refrigerate them. Add the topping just before broiling.
Instructions
Preheat broiler to high with rack 6 inches from element. Coat six 6-oz. baking dishes with nonstick spray.
Cook shells in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain. Rinse shells under cold water.
Heat cream, shallots, and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium-low until steaming. Whisk in butter until completely melted. Add 1½ cups Parmesan, 3 Tbsp. parsley, and pepper. Increase heat to medium; cook, whisking often, until thickened, 10 minutes.
Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Transfer sauce to a large bowl. Fold crabmeat and shells into sauce; divide among prepared dishes.
Combine panko and remaining ½ cup Parmesan; sprinkle over casseroles. Broil casseroles until golden and bubbly, 3–4 minutes. Top casseroles with remaining 1 Tbsp. parsley.
Lemon juice adds bright flavor. Add it at the end of cooking to keep the cream from curdling.
To keep the crabmeat in large chunks, be sure to gently fold it into the sauce.
Topping the casseroles with panko and Parmesan adds great flavor, texture, and browning when baked.
Test Kitchen Approved
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 804
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 57g 87%
Saturated Fat 37g 185%
Cholesterol 226mg 75%
Sodium 817mg 34%
% Daily Value*
Carbs 34g 11%
Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 32g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Reviews ()
★★★★☆
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Statistics
Statistics
Average: 4.00
Standardized Average: 4.00
This is the average rating for this recipe, relative to the average rating of all of the recipes on this site. The average rating of all the recipes on this site is 73.15. If we pin the population average to 3 (define 3 as the new 73.15) and adjust this particular recipe's average accordingly, we see that, relative to a population average of 3, this recipe's adjusted standardized average is 4.00. This number is useful in that it accounts for how different people have different interpretations of the rating system.
Median: 4
This is the rating that is in the middle of the ratings distribution. It is generally more indicative of how much you will actually like this recipe than the average because the average is subject to being skewed by outliers.
Mode: 4
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Standard Deviation: None
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0 is the least polarizing; everyone agrees on the rating.
2.5 is the most polarizing.
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There is no standard deviation for this recipe because it has fewer than 2 ratings so far.
★★★★☆
Loved the recipe, but cut back on the pepper. Made it first time with 1/2 tbsp and was good. Second time tried the full Tbsp - way too much pepper! Will try next time with 1 tsp - maybe it was a typo.
