Alice's Savory Crawfish Mac & Cheese
 
 
Alice's Savory Crawfish Mac & Cheese
Recipe By:
Ingredients
  • 1-2 lbs. fresh crawfish tails (amount depends on how much you would like the crawfish be in the dish) I like the 2 lbs.
  • 1 lb. elbow macaroni or your favorite short-type pasta, cooked in salted water, cook until just al dente—best undercooked because will finish cooking in oven.
  • ½ stick butter, added to boiling pasta water
  • 3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. black pepper
  • 1 t. dry mustard
  • Tabasco to taste
  • ½ stick butter
  • 2 T. minced garlic
  • 3 T. flour
  • 2 ½ c. half & half, or a little extra if you want to loosen up the noodles more
  • 12 thin slices of butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 350.
  2. Drain fresh crawfish tails and save any of the liquid and set aside.
  3. Boil pasta in salted water with added ½ stick butter. Undercook.
  4. Drain pasta and place in large mixing bowl.
  5. Add 2 c. of each type of cheese, salt, pepper, dry mustard and Tabasco to taste. Mix well. Taste for seasoning. Add more if needed. Set aside.
  6. Place a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
  7. Add the ½ stick butter and melt.
  8. Add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
  9. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to blend.
  10. Gradually pour in half & half and any reserved drained crawfish liquid. Keep whisking.
  11. Bring mixture to boil and level off at a steady simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly.
  12. Remove from heat and stir in crawfish tails.
  13. Take the crawfish mixture and fold into pasta mixture. Taste for seasoning.
  14. Pour mixture into a buttered 13x9” baking dish.
  15. Place the 12 thin slices of butter over the top.
  16. Mix the remaining shredded cheeses and place on top of dish.
  17. Bake until golden, 45-50 minutes.
Notes
*****You can prepare this dish 1-2 days ahead, cover with foil, and place in refrigerator (DO NOT BAKE). Remove from refrigerator, let set at room temp for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake.
You can change up types of pasta and cheeses.
Recipe by Geaux Ask Alice! at https://geauxaskalice.com/alices-savory-crawfish-mac-cheese/