With Mardi Gras coming up, now is the perfect time to explore the delicious and unique flavors of New Orleans. We’re transforming everyone’s favorite comfort food into a dish fit for a celebration. I think you’re going to love this cajun crawfish & shrimp macaroni and cheese! It has everything you could ask for in a dinner recipe: cheesy goodness, delicious bacon, and a spicy kick! Plus, you can’t get much more “New Orleans” than crawfish! Check it out, then print out the recipe card for later!
Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese
Ingredients:
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- 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:
- Add a dash of salt to 1 quart water in a large pasta pot
- Bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- Drain and set the pasta to the side.
- Slice your green onions.
- Set to the side.
- While you are cooking your pasta cook your bacon to a crisp so you can crumble.
- Use the same skillet that you cooked your bacon in add your butter.
- Melt butter on medium heat and then add your green onions and cook 2 minutes.
- Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook 1 minute.
- Add your half and half and whisk to prevent clumps.
- Add Cajun seasoning and mix to combine.
- Add your crawfish tails and shrimp and stir often for 5 minutes.
- Add cheeses and stir until melted.
- Fold pasta and half of the bacon into cheese sauce.
- Top the pasta mix with remaining bacon and bread crumbs.
- Turn your oven to broil.
- 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.
Print this recipe for later:
Cajun crawfish & Shrimp macaroni & Cheese
- 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
- Add a dash of salt to 1 quart water in a large pasta pot
- Bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- Drain and set the pasta to the side.
- Slice your green onions.
- Set to the side.
- While you are cooking your pasta cook your bacon to a crisp so you can crumble.
- Use the same skillet that you cooked your bacon in add your butter.
- Melt butter on medium heat and then add your green onions and cook 2 minutes.
- Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook 1 minute.
- Add your half and half and whisk to prevent clumps.
- Add Cajun seasoning and mix to combine.
- Add your crawfish tails and shrimp and stir often for 5 minutes.
- Add cheeses and stir until melted.
- Fold pasta and half of the bacon into cheese sauce.
- Top the pasta mix with remaining bacon and bread crumbs.
- Turn your oven to broil.
- 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.
Got leftover shrimp? Use it in one of these tasty recipes:
Sweet Chilli Shrimp and Scallops Hot Dog Recipe
Grilled Avocado with Shrimp Salad Recipe
Easy Szechuan Shrimp Healthy Stir Fry Recipe
I grew up in Iowa and I remember catching crawfish in the crick! lol Thanks for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday :)
This sounds great. I’ve never been to New Orleans but my husband loves cajun food. Pinning and sharing. Thanks for linking up to #HomeMattersParty
Sign me up when you said crawfish and shrimp! YUM! I also loved that grilled avocado and shrimp meal!
Now this looks and sounds like a meal that’s worth digging into!! I love cajun food! I’m going to make this one night for dinner – my family will love it!
My brother lived in New Orleans for a decade, and I got a sprinkling of all the flavors offered. I was just too young to appreciate it, I guess. Can’t wait to try your Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp recipe.
You are correct, I have been craving this. Well, I have been craving some sort of seafood. This dish would really hit the spot right about now.
This is an awesome recipe! We love Cajun food. I like the left over shrimp ideas too. Thanks!
Cajun food is so good, and really fun to make. This looks excellent.
Now this is a mac and cheese that I need to try! Love a good crawfish boil!
This looks like a delightful meal.
I really like the shrimp dishes.
This looks so flavorful! I would love to try it soon! I’m sure they’ll love it!
That looks delicious and a great option to add to our meal rotation. Will pin it.
Oh wow! That looks so good! I am definitely trying this over the weekend!
This would be a fun dinner for a special night. I’m sure my husband would love it!
This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to get the ingredient I need to make some this weekend. I am always looking for recipes to try.
Macaroni and cheese is one of my all time favorites! This delicious recipe seems to scream New Orleans, which is especially fitting since Mardi Gras is here.
This looks super good! I love macaroni and cheese, so any variations on it are music to my ears!
Two things we love in our family are shellfish and macaroni and cheese. I will have to try out that recipe to get that great combo.
That sounds really tasty. I can’t wait to make this for my family.
I love New Orleans and their food is so good! This recipe sounds delicious.