Description
Creamy baked crawfish mac and cheese made with three cheeses, Cajun seasoning, and tender crawfish tails.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon salted butter, divided
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1–2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 cups Gouda cheese, divided
- 2 cups Gruyère cheese, divided
- 2 cups crawfish tails
- Fresh parsley, optional
- Hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and cook macaroni two minutes less than package directions, then drain.
- Toast panko crumbs in 1 tablespoon butter until golden and set aside.
- Melt remaining butter, add garlic, whisk in flour, and cook to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in milk and cream, season, and simmer gently.
- Remove from heat and stir in one cup each of cheddar, Gouda, and Gruyère.
- Fold in macaroni and crawfish.
- Layer pasta with remaining cheese, top with panko, and bake until bubbly.
Notes
- Let dairy reach room temperature before cooking.
- Shred cheese fresh for smooth melting.
- Add milk when reheating leftovers to restore creaminess.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 dish
- Calories: 1138
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 1147mg
- Fat: 74g
- Saturated Fat: 45g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 54g
- Cholesterol: 321mg