1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a 3 Qt. (9x13) baking dish with cooking spray or melted butter. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain, reserving about ¼ cup pasta cooking water.
4. While the pasta cooks, combine the Gruyere cheese, sharp cheddar and white cheddar cheese (or mozzarella) in a large bowl. Set aside.
5. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring as needed. Slowly pour in the milk in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly. Gradually, whisk in the half and half. Stir in the nutmeg, dry mustard, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.
6. Remove from the heat and add about half of the cheese, mixing until the cheese melts completely. Once melted, stir in the remaining cheese and mix until melted.
7. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and mix until combined. Stir in half of the lobster meat and gently stir to combine. If the mixture is a bit dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Pour the cheesy lobster macaroni into the prepared pan spreading evenly. Add the remaining lobster meat and sprinkle with the topping mixture.
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top. Don’t overcook to prevent the mac and cheese from drying.

How to Cook the Lobster Tails

1. Since cooking and cracking lobster is labor intensive, cook the meat the day before you are planning on serving it. Keep the meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
2. 4 to 6 lobster tails (4 - 6 ounces each)

Boiling:

1. Rinse the lobster tails. Optional: To prevent the tails from curling, place the tails on a cutting board and flatten them with your hands. Insert 2 wooden skewers into the tails lengthwise, starting from the body end and exiting through the joints near the tail end. Keep the skewers as close to the top shell as possible to minimize the piercing of the delicate meat.
2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the lobster tails into the pot carefully. Cook for about 1 minute per ounce or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F (57°C). The lobster meat will cook again in the oven so make sure you don’t overcook the meat to prevent a rubbery texture. Transfer the tails to a bowl filled with iced water. Remove the cooked tails from the water and pull out the skewers. To peel, squeeze the sides of each tail lengthwise, pushing the edges to crack it open. Pull the meat from the tail and cut it into large bite size pieces.

Bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Cut each lobster tail in half lengthwise and place them on the prepared sheet pan.
2. Brush the lobster meat with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and season them with a sprinkle of your favorite spices or seasonings (salt and pepper, lemon pepper, old bay, Cajun seasoning, etc). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135°F (57°C). The lobster meat will cook again in the oven so make sure you don’t overcook the meat to prevent a rubbery texture. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Remove meat from the shells and cut it into large bite size pieces.