I grew up in North Carolina and while it isn’t as far south as some places, I did develop a love of deep south cooking. I remember my grandmother, who was a southern as they come, cooking me some amazing comfort food that is nothing less than heaven on a plate. She had a lot of different macaroni & cheese recipes and she always found new ways to give mac and cheese recipes a twist. Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Mac and cheese is a great twist on the classic comfort food.
How Many Weight Watchers Point is Cajun Crawfish and Shrimp Mac n Cheese
The original recipe is 18 points per serving. When you make some changes, this recipe becomes 11 points per serving. If you are willing to use a little less cheese and forgo the bread crumbs, this recipe can be 8 points.
If you like seafood and you like mac n cheese this is a great recipe. Cajun seasoning adds a whole new flavor to this mac n cheese recipe. It can be simply changed up to suit your taste. Add in more shrimp or more crawfish to make it your own.
Ingredients:
8 oz penne pasta
4 slices thick bacon (WW – for the lowest points possible, lower this to 3 slices of bacon)
2 green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp. butter room temp – WW use Light Butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup half and half – WW use Fat-Free
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 – WW use Kraft Natural Fat-Free Cheddar
2 c shredded Colby / jack cheese mix – WW use reduce fat Colby jack cheese (To lower this even further, reduce cheese to 1 cup cheese)
1/2 cup panko (bread) crumbs – WW use whole wheat bread crumbs or eliminate the bread crumbs for an even lower point.
Instructions:
1. Add a dash of salt to 1 quart water in a large pasta pot.
2. Bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the package directions.
3. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon to a crisp so that it crumbles. Use a cast iron skillet or another oven safe skillet.
4. When the pasta is done, drain and set the pasta to the side.
5. Slice your green onions.
6. Set to the side.
7. Use the same skillet from the bacon, add your butter.
8. Melt butter on medium heat and then add your green onions. Cook 2 minutes.
9. Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook 1 minute.
10. Add your half and half and whisk to prevent clumps.
11. Add Cajun seasoning and mix to combine.
12. Add your crawfish tails and shrimp and stir often for 5 minutes.
13. Add in the cheeses and stir until melted.
14. Fold pasta and half of the bacon into cheese sauce.
15. Top the pasta mix with remaining bacon and bread crumbs.
16. Turn your oven to broil.
17. Place your pasta mix into the oven and toast for 5 minutes.
18. Remove garnish with green onions slices.
19. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 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 (bread) crumbs
Instructions
- Instructions:
- 1. Add a dash of salt to 1 quart water in a large pasta pot.
- 2. Bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- 3. While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon to a crisp so that it crumbles. Use a cast iron skillet or another oven safe skillet.
- 4. When the pasta is done, drain and set the pasta to the side.
- 5. Slice your green onions.
- 6. Set to the side.
- 7. Use the same skillet from the bacon, add your butter.
- Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Mac n Cheese Recipe
- 8. Melt butter on medium heat and then add your green onions. Cook 2 minutes.
- 9. Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook 1 minute.
- 10. Add your half and half and whisk to prevent clumps.
- 11. Add Cajun seasoning and mix to combine.
- 12. Add your crawfish tails and shrimp and stir often for 5 minutes.
- 13. Add in the cheeses and stir until melted.
- 14. Fold pasta and half of the bacon into cheese sauce.
- 15. Top the pasta mix with remaining bacon and bread crumbs.
- 16. Turn your oven to broil.
- 17. Place your pasta mix into the oven and toast for 5 minutes.
- 18. Remove garnish with green onions slices.
- 19. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. Cajun Crawfish & Shrimp Mac n Cheese Recipe
Leave a Reply