There are few dishes as comforting and satisfying as a warm piece of cornbread, but add in some Cajun flair and crawfish, and you’ve got something truly special. This Cajun Crawfish Cornbread recipe is a culinary journey to the heart of New Orleans, a city known for its vibrant food culture. This dish is a fusion of Southern comfort food and Cajun spice, with the cornbread providing a sweet, crumbly base and the crawfish adding a unique, seafood twist. The addition of jalapeno peppers gives it that classic Cajun kick, while the creamed corn and Cheddar cheese make it irresistibly moist and flavorful. I love this recipe because it’s a celebration of cultural diversity in food, proving that seemingly contrasting flavors can harmonize beautifully in one dish. Plus, it’s not every day you get to cook with crawfish! So why not switch up your cornbread game and give this exciting recipe a try? You won’t be disappointed!
Ingredients
- 2 c. cornmeal
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 6 eggs
- 2 medium onions
- 16 oz. Cheddar cheese
- 2/3 c. oil
- 2 cans creamed corn
- 2 lb. crawfish tails
- 1/2 c. jalapeno peppers
Baking Instructions
- In bowl, combine cornmeal, salt and soda.
- In medium bowl, beat eggs; chop onions and jalapeno peppers.
- Grate cheese and add beaten eggs, onions, peppers, cheese, oil, corn and crawfish tails. Combine this mixture with cornmeal mix and mix well.
- Pour into greased 12 x 14-inch baking dish.
- Bake at 375° for 55 minutes or until golden brown.
Calorie: 540
Total cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
The Great Crawfish Conundrum
Oh, the mighty crawfish, also known as the mini lobster of the south! If you’ve ever tried to wrangle 2 lbs of these slippery suckers, you’ll know it’s no small feat. You see, these little critters aren’t just there to add some jazzy flair to our cornbread, they’re here to test our patience. But more about that later.
Cajun Confessions
I’ve never been to Louisiana, but if their food is anything to go by, I’m packing my bags as we speak. What I love about Cajun cooking is that it’s all about the spice and the bite. And when it comes to our Cajun Crawfish Cornbread, we’ve got the bite (crawfish tails) and the spice (1/2 c. jalapeno peppers) covered. But let’s not forget about the most important ingredient in this delectable dish: the cornmeal. It’s the backbone of our cornbread, the unsung hero, the…corn.
The Mixing Mayhem
So, what’s next? A bit of mixing and matching, of course! First off, in a mixing bowl, we combine our 2 c. cornmeal, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. baking powder. Not much of a thrill, but wait until we throw in 6 eggs, 2 medium onions, and 16 oz. of Cheddar cheese. If you’ve never had the pleasure of grating a block of cheese while trying to avoid grating your own fingers, you’re in for a treat.
The Melting Pot
Time to get a bit messy. We add our beaten eggs, chopped onions, peppers, cheese, 2/3 c. oil, 2 cans of creamed corn, and our star of the show: the crawfish tails. This is where the magic happens. As you combine this mixture with the cornmeal mix, you’ll be enveloped in a cloud of Cajun goodness that will make your taste buds do a little dance.
Baking and Browning
This is it, folks. The moment of truth. We pour our concoction into a greased 12 x 14-inch baking dish and slide it into the oven. The next 55 minutes are pure, agonizing suspense. Will it rise? Will it brown? Will the smoke alarm go off again and scare the dog? These are the nerve-wracking questions that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Golden Glory
And then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, our Cajun Crawfish Cornbread emerges from the oven, golden brown and mouth-wateringly delicious. As you take that first bite, you’ll forget about the grated fingers, the smoke alarm, and the dog’s therapy bills. All that matters is the cornmeal and the crawfish, the cheese and the corn, all dancing together in perfect, Cajun harmony.
So, there you have it, folks. My little journey with the Cajun Crawfish Cornbread. It’s a wild ride, filled with laughter, tears, and plenty of corn. But at the end of the day, it’s all worth it for that one, delicious bite.
