Favorite Crawfish Mac and Cheese

🧂 Ingredients

• 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

  room temperature
• 2 cups whole milk

  room temperature
• 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
• Freshly chopped parsley

  for garnish, optional
• Hot sauce

  for garnish, optional

Instructions

• 1 Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the
  elbow macaroni two minutes less than what the package directions dictate. Drain
  and reserve in a large mixing bowl.
• 2 While the water boils and the pasta cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large
  skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko crumbs and stir to coat. Continue
  to cook, stirring every so often, until the panko crumbs turn golden brown.
  Remove from heat and reserve.
• 3 Melt the remaining ½ cup butter in the pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook
  for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk
  constantly for about three minutes.
• 4 Slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly to create a smooth
  mixture. Season with Cajun seasoning and Dijon mustard. Start with 1 tablespoon
  of Cajun seasoning and add more to taste. Bring to a simmer, whisking
  frequently. Do not boil as that can cause the milk to separate and leave you
  with a grainy sauce.
• 5 Turn off the heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar, 1 cup Gouda and 1 cup Gruyère until
  the cheese melts and becomes one cohesive mixture.
• 6 Add the macaroni and crawfish to the pot with the cheese sauce. Stir to coat.
• 7 Pour half the mac and cheese into a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish or
  12-inch cast-iron skillet. Layer half the remaining cheese on top. Pour the rest
  of the macaroni on the cheese layer and top with the last of the cheese.
  Sprinkle the browned panko crumbs on top.
• 8 Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with
  freshly chopped parsley, hot sauce and more Cajun seasoning. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info