Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese Recipe
If there is one thing I love when it comes to comfort food, it’s any type of Macaroni & Cheese. You just cant go wrong with that delicious combination of pasta and cheese right? And you can customize it in so many different ways. You can you different types of cheeses, add whatever protein you like. You can even bake it or fry it in little mac and cheese balls if you want to! So today I wanted to show you one of my very favorite (and surprisingly easy) recipe for Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese. It’s got that perfect kick of Cajun spices and a blend of cheese. Pure perfection for Sunday night dinner. Let’s check it out!
Here is what you will need for my Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese Recipe:
8 oz penne pasta
4 slices thick bacon
2 green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. butter room temp
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup half and half
1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
Water
2 cup cooked crawfish tails
2 cups medium sized peeled and tail off shrimp
1½ c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 c shredded Colby / jack cheese mix
1/2 cup panko crumbs
Instructions:
Step 1: Add a dash of salt to 1 quart water in a large pasta pot and bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the package directions.
Step 2: Drain and set the pasta to the side.
Step 3: Slice your green onions.Set to the side.
Step 4: While you are cooking your pasta cook your bacon to a crisp so you can crumble.
Step 5: Use the same skillet that you cooked your bacon in add your butter and melt butter on medium heat and then add your green onions and cook 2 minutes.
Step 6: Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook 1 minute.
Step 7: Add your half and half and whisk to prevent clumps and then add Cajun seasoning and mix to combine.
Step 8:Add your crawfish tails and shrimp and stir often for 5 minutes.
Step 9:Add cheeses and stir until melted.
Step 10: Fold pasta and half of the bacon into cheese sauce.
Step 11: Top the pasta mix with remaining bacon and bread crumbs and turn your oven to broil.
Step 12: Place your pasta mix into the oven and toast for 5 minutes. Remove garnish with green onions slices.
Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
See? In no time you will have a delicious pot of Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese that the whole family will be asking for seconds on. And if you happen to have left overs (unlikely) it heats up the next day really well!
What would you add to your macaroni & cheese to make it unique? Let me know in the comments below!
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