Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Turn your average macaroni and cheese into a mouth-watering, Louisiana inspired dish!
Everyone loves a good macaroni and cheese, but have you tried it Louisiana-style? Louisiana-style is simple: Just add crawfish. Your meal will be memorable, Cajun-inspired and delicious.
Ingredients for Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese:
- 1-pound Louisiana crawfish tails
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 5 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 stick butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- Louisiana-style hot sauce (optional)
Method of Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain liquid from crawfish tails, saving for later use. Boil the pasta in salted water until just before it’s tender (do not overboil). Drain pasta thoroughly.
Place in a large mixing bowl with 3 cups cheddar, salt and pepper. Wipe the pot clean, add butter and minced large garlic and return to medium heat. Sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Evenly sprinkle flour over top and whisk until well blended. Slowly pour in half and half and reserved liquid from crawfish while whisking vigorously. Bring to a boil and hold at a hard simmer for 3 minutes while whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in crawfish tails. Fold crawfish and sauce into in the large mixing bowl with the pasta mixture. Taste; adjust seasonings, adding a little mustard or hot sauce, if desired.
Spoon mixture into a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish, dot with butter, and top with remaining 2 cups cheese and bake at 350 degrees in the center rack for 50 minutes or until golden. Alternatively, divide macaroni mixture between 8 single-sized buttered baking dishes, dot the tops with butter, top with ¼ cup shredded cheddar and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. For a darker crust, carefully broil 1 to 2 minutes or until the top cheese is to the desired color, while watching (do not burn). Serves 8.
Recipe provided by Louisiana Kitchen and Culture Magazine.
Explore more recipes like this with Louisiana’s Culinary Trails. For more information, recipes and tips for your next trip to Louisiana, sign up to receive our eNewsletter.
