Crab and Crawfish Mac and Cheese

MMMMMMmmmmm.... Tasty Good!

Not sure why but I was seriously craving something rich and creamy where I could use some  crabmeat and crawfish that I had in the fridge.  I have had lobster mac and cheese and crawfish mac and cheese at restaurants locally but knew that a little crabmeat could only improve the dish.

For those of you who are familiar with cream sauces, this recipe uses a variation on a cheesy Béchamel sauce.  I used to watch my mom make this type of sauce in her Tuna casserole before I knew what it was...

I also made a topping of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese to go on top... before baking.



 The Recipe:

• 3-4 slices thick smoky bacon (cut across into strips)... you could use sliced smoked sausage with a little bit of olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion (chopped)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• 5 Tbsp flour
• 3 Cups of Whole Milk
• 1 tsp pepper, white pepper (or if you like a lil spicy substitute with 1/2 tsp of cayenne instead)
• 1 tsp nutmeg... goes really well in cheese sauce
• 12 oz of shredded mild cheeses ... cheddar, gruyere, fontina, mozzarella, monterey jack or any combination
• 1/2 lb of lump crabmeat (picked over for cartilage, shells)
• 1lb of crawfish... if you do not have crawfish, you can use lobster.
• 1 lb of shell or macaroni shaped pasta (cooked al dente)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Topping of plain breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large saute pan,  lightly brown the bacon over medium heat (do not overcook).  Then add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.  Next, mix in the flour to the bacon, onion, garlic mixture  (if you add the flour to the rendered fat, it will not clump up.  Most bechamel sauce uses butter but we are using the rendered fat from the bacon instead) Once the flour is mixed, begin to wisk in the milk and cook until the sauce is smooth... When you see that the sauce is thickening, you can lower the heat to low and add the shredded cheeses, crawfish, crabmeat, pepper and nutmeg.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine the cheese and seafood sauce with the cooked pasta.  Pour the combined mixture into a buttered casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 or so minutes or until the casserole is bubbly.   Let sit 5 minutes prior to serving.

Quick and Easy Shrimp Creole.... and the Saints Opener

It is 5PM on the NFL Season Opening Night with my New Orleans Saints playing the Minnesota Vikings.  The city is electric so want to get out into the middle of it as fast as I can but do not want to eat out so I had to ask...

"What do you cook when you need something quick, easy, and healthy when you only have a short time to prepare?"  

Shrimp Creole.  Shrimp Creole is Shrimp served in a spicy and kind of chunky tomato sauce served over rice.  It cooks in about 30 minutes) and requires minimal prep.  If you do not have shrimp on hand, you can use chicken or crawfish but be sure to adjust the cooking time to ensure your protein gets cooked all the way through without overcooking.  

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium yellow onion chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sized can of chopped or crushed tomato

1 lb raw, medium to large size, shelled Shrimp

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (optional)

2 tsp of creole seasoning blend or season to taste

BIG EASY TIP: if you do not have Creole Seasoning in your grocery,  you can make it and keep it handy.  It is just salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, oregano and thyme. 2 tsps of the first 3 and 1 tsp of the second 3) The store bought ones also include other items like onion powder, garlic powder but since I am using those in this recipe, no need to add them in powder form)

 Heat the Olive Oil in a medium sized saute pan til hot,  add the celery, onion, garlic and green pepper and cook on medium heat until vegetables are soft.  Stir in the tomato and add the creole seasoning blend and bay leaves... once cooked down or about 10-15 minutes,  you can add the raw shrimp.  Cover and simmer until the Shrimp are opaque. 

If you start your rice about the same time as you start the Shrimp Creole, they finish right about the same time 

Serve over Rice.