Description
This over-the-top crawfish bread delivers serious Southern comfort. Crusty French bread gets stuffed with a rich, cheesy crawfish filling seasoned with Cajun spices, then baked until hot, melty, and impossible to resist. It’s a total crowd-pleaser for game day, Mardi Gras, or anytime you want something indulgent and fun.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Base
- 1 large loaf of French bread, split lengthwise
- Flavor-Filled Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 pound cooked crawfish tails, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
Creamy Cheese Blend
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Creole mustard (spicy brown works too)
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any good melting cheese)
Optional Toppings
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Red pepper flakes or paprika
Instructions
- Heat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F so it’s ready to go.
- Prep the bread: Cut the French bread in half lengthwise. Scoop out some of the soft interior to create space for the filling, then place both halves on a baking sheet.
- Build the flavor base: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Warm the crawfish: Add the crawfish tails and Cajun seasoning. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently to coat everything evenly.
- Make it creamy: Add the cream cheese directly to the skillet. Stir until completely melted and blended into the crawfish mixture.
- Finish the filling: Transfer everything to a mixing bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan, and cheddar until smooth and well combined.
- Assemble and bake: Spread the cheesy crawfish mixture generously over the bread halves. Bake for about 12 minutes, until heated through.
- Toast it up: Switch the oven to broil and cook for another 1–2 minutes, watching closely, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned.
- Serve and enjoy: Let cool slightly, slice, garnish if desired, and serve while hot and gooey.
Notes
- Don’t toss the bread you scoop out—it’s perfect for homemade croutons or thickening soups and sauces later.
- If crawfish isn’t available, cooked shrimp makes a solid substitute.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
Nutrition
- Calories: 279 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 443 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg