Cajun Crawfish Bread

If you are not from the Gulf South part of the United States, it's very possible that you may not be familiar with crawfish... they look like small little lobster impersonators!   We are in the middle of crawfish season right now, so "crawfish boils" can be found at many a social gathering here on the "Third Coast."  Piles of ruby red crawfish, boiled in spices, dumped out into large tubs and onto newspaper lined tables, and folks standing elbow to elbow peeling and eating them as fast as possible.  This is our South! 

That said, there are some occasions where you end up with some leftovers.  So we Southerners generally peel them and put them away in the freezer to make a fabulous dish at another time.  So if you happen to be looking for something fabulous to do with your leftover crawfish tails, consider this Cajun Crawfish Bread as a great appetizer or even a small dinner.  If you don't just "happen" to have crawfish tails left over, don't fret.  You can purchase them cooked and frozen. 

This recipe is a super easy and fast way to prepare an appetizer for those unexpected guests, or perhaps you are shuttling kids between ball games, music and dance lessons, etc.  You just mix, spread, and bake until brown and bubbly and melty!  Mmmm.

Click for Printable Recipe 

Ingredients: (8 servings)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• could also use 1/2 and 1/2 mayo and sour cream mixture
• 4 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion tops
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup crawfish tails, finely chopped
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 (16 oz) loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise
• I also think it would be fabulous with chopped, drained artichoke hearts mixed in.  Perhaps about 1/4 cup or so.

**Watch a video of Julie cooking this on Good Morning New Orleans!

Step-by-Step:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, melted butter, mozzarella, Parmesan, green onions, and garlic powder.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 Tbsp melted butter

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onion tops

1 tsp garlic powder

kosher salt to taste

Coarse black pepper to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese

Fold in the chopped crawfish, and season to taste with salt and pepper if you haven't already done so. 

1 cup cooked crawfish tails, chopped

If you used leftover crawfish from a crawfish boil, you may not need to add additional pepper, etc.. taste first.  If you used frozen crawfish tails from a seafood market or grocery store, you will definitely need some additional seasoning.

combine gently

Spread the crawfish mixture on the French bread, and bake for 18-20 min.

 

Tip - to make clean-up a breeze, consider baking the crawfish bread on parchment paper. 

For the last two minutes, I turned the broiler on high just to get a beautiful brown crispy edge on the bread and really toast up the cheeses in the mixture.   

 Cut into 2-inch pieces, garnish with a few more green onions, and serve while hot and "gooey." 

Tip - To reduce your prep time even further, you can make this mixture ahead of time, and refrigerated until you are ready to spread and bake it.

You may be thinking this recipe is just for grown-ups.  Don't bet on it!!! :)

Written Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, melted butter, mozzarella, Parmesan, green onions, and garlic powder.  This can be made ahead up until you spread the crawfish mixture on the bread and refrigerated until you are ready to bake it. 

Fold in the chopped crawfish, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the crawfish mixture on the French bread, and bake for 18-20 min.  For the last two minutes, I turned the broiler on high just to get a beautiful brown crispy edge on the bread and really toast up the cheeses in the mixture.

Cut into 2-inch pieces, garnish with a few more green onions, and serve while hot and "gooey." 





Order the Menu Musings Cookbook! 

 

Want more recipes from my blog?
If I have piqued you curiosity, please feel free to visit my Recipe Index and browse for more recipes to cook for your family.  Here are just a few to get you started:
Sour Cream Banana Nut Bread

Roasted Vegetable Chicken Pot Pie

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pear Dumplings with Praline Sauce

Steamed Asian Dumplings

Carrot Souffle

Hope you have enjoyed!
Click here to Subscribe to MenuMusings so you won't miss a thing!