Lazy Lobster Casserole with Buttery Ritz Topping

By Bree Hester Jump to Recipe

Lazy Lobster Casserole with Buttery Ritz Topping – a New England classic. Lobster in garlic butter sauce topped with crunchy cracker topping.

Lobster Casserole or Lazy Lobster as it is often called at the seafood shacks here in New England. I love lobster, but I don’t always love being covered in lobster juice. This is how you can eat a whole lobster without wearing it.

There are a few different ways that you will see Lazy Lobster served, but typically it is a baked lobster casserole, chunks of lobster served in a small aluminum pie plate in a GENEROUS amount of butter and topped with a Ritz cracker crumble on top. A lemon wedge, a piece of parsley, and a sprinkling of paprika round it out. It is absolutely divine. 

Any time I see this delicacy on a menu, I have to order it, and my favorite versions always have some sherry and a little garlic. 

I started ordering my meats from ButcherBox this year and they sometimes offer lobster. I know that I wanted to try to make my own lobster casserole at home. If I pretend I am sitting at a picnic table with seashells under my feet and the distant sound of seagulls, I would not know that I was eating this in my home. 

Tips & Tricks

If you are in a hurry or don’t want to deal with raw lobster, buy steamed lobster from the seafood market, just be careful to not overcook. Lobster can get chewy and tough when it is overcooked. 

You can make one big lobster casserole, but I prefer individual ramekins or dishes. The ones I used in the photos were my grandmother’s and are the perfect vessel for this meal. 

Why Is Lazy Lobster Casserole So Good?

Lobster. Lobster feels so fancy and extravagant. It instantly feels like summer when I see a lobster on my plate and it makes me so happy. 

Butter. Lots and lots of butter. This dish is everything you loved about eating lobster in one bite. 

Ritz crackers. They add a little sweetness and a whole lot of buttery goodness to the top of this casserole. I think that everything is better with a little crunch and texture, and this crumb topping is divine. 

Variations of Lobster Casserole

You can make this with shrimp and it is also incredible. I had something very similar in a restaurant recently, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Sub shrimp and keep everything the same. 

If you don’t have sherry or want to buy a bottle (although I use sherry all the time, saute some mushrooms with it) you can use white wine or even clam juice. 

To make a lobster appetizer, skip the crumbs and pour the buttery lobster over a crostini for lobster toast. 

You can also use this method to make hot lobster rolls. Add the sauteed lobster meat to New England-style hot dog buns. 

Lobster pasta would be amazing. This would be a really delicious lobster scampi pasta situation. 

How to Store and Reheat Lobster

I think that this dish is best made and eaten immediately. If you are going to reheat it, cover the dish with foil and put it in a 300° oven for about 10 minutes. 

Make Ahead Options

You can make the crumb topping ahead of time, stored in an airtight container. Wait to add the parsley until you are ready to use it. 

Lazy Lobster Casserole with Buttery Ritz Topping

Bree Hester

4.46 from 33 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course seafood

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Buttery Ritz Topping

• 35 Ritz crackers
• 2 cups Oyster Crackers Westminster is my preferred brand
• 4 Tablespoons butter melted
• ¼ cup parsley chopped

Lobster:

• ½ cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• ¼ cup sherry
• Juice from one lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 24 oz. lobster meat I used claws and knuckles

Instructions

 

• Add the crackers to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until it is coarse crumbs. I like some larger texture, so I don’t take it all the way. Pour out into a bowl. 
  
• Add butter and parsley, mix well. Set aside. 
  
• Let’s start on the lobster. Heat butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sherry and lemon. Season with salt and pepper. 
  
• If cooking from raw, add the lobster and cook until the lobster begins to firm and change color. (If using steamed lobster, I skip this and just pour the sauce over the lobster meat.) Take off the heat. 
• Divide the lobster evenly between the ramekins or dishes. 
  
• Top generously with the crumb mixture. 
  
• Bake in a preheated 350° oven and cook until the lobster is cooked through and the crumbs turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. 
• Serve with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. 
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 22gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gSodium: 959mgFiber: 1g

Keyword how to cook lobster, Lazy Lobster Casserole with Buttery Ritz Topping, lobster casserole, lobster scampi

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