It’s spring in South Louisiana and that means…
CRAWFISH BOILS!
If you’re lucky enough to eat your fill and still have leftovers, you may find yourself in a rut with what to do with them. I’ve made everything from potato salad and soup to omelets and pizzas with crawfish boil leftovers. Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite post-boil go-to recipes. (Proceed with caution if you’re trying to be healthy — lots of butter and cream ahead!)
Shrimp & Crawfish Marilyn (Shrimp & Crawfish Pasta)
There’s no shortage of crawfish pasta recipes out there, but here’s one for a quick and easy dish my beloved MawMaw, Marilyn Seiler, created that is sure to WOW! This is great with just crawfish, just shrimp, or a combination of both. (If you’re using shrimp or crawfish that’s already boiled, just be careful not to let them overcook and become rubbery.)
- 1 pound crawfish tails and/or shrimp (or add more if you’ve got ‘em!)
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2+ tablespoons minced garlic, to taste (I like to use the crawfish boil garlic if I’ve got it)
- Tony Chachere’s seasoning blend, to taste
- 2 cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
- 8 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (the powdery kind)
- 8 oz. bag shredded Italian cheese blend (or can substitute mozzarella)
- 2 cups half & half
- OPTIONAL: the crawfish boil mushrooms or any other crawfish boil leftovers you’d like to add in, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Pasta of choice for serving
NOTE: we’ve used angel hair, penne, cheese tortellini, and even mushroom ravioli that we cooked in the crawfish boil water (Thanks to my friend Jessica M. for that suggestion!). It’s all delicious!)
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add in your onion, bell pepper, celery & garlic and sauté until onions are clear. Add your crawfish & shrimp — being careful not to overcook! Add in mushrooms, if using. Add your cans of tomatoes with their juices and then sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and combine well. Add the shredded Italian cheese blend and stir constantly until melted. Lower the heat to low. Slowly add in your half & half, stirring constantly. Season with Tony’s to taste and serve over pasta.
Crawfish Boil Mashed Potatoes (in the Instant Pot)
No Instant Pot? No problem! Simply heat your potatoes on the stove in water, drain, and continue on adding the garlic, butter & cream cheese.
- 3(ish) pounds of leftover crawfish boil potatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
- 2+ tablespoons minced garlic, to taste (I like to use the crawfish boil garlic if I’ve got it)
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese (no worries if you don’t soften it first, the heat of the Instant Pot will do it for you)
- OPTIONAL: milk to thin the consistency
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Put the potatoes, garlic, and chicken broth or water in the Instant Pot. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes (this is mainly to heat and soften the already cooked potatoes) and quick release the pressure. Add in the butter and cream cheese and put the lid back on. Wait 10 minutes to allow the butter to melt and the cream cheese to soften. After 10 minutes, mash mash mash! Add in a little milk if potatoes are too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Crawfish Boil Corn Maque Choux
This recipe is based on a classic New Orleans-style Maque Choux recipe, but substitutes crawfish boil corn for fresh. Feel free to add crawfish tails to this one and serve it over rice to make it a meal!
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2+ tablespoons minced garlic, to taste (I like to use the crawfish boil garlic if I’ve got it)
- Tony Chachere’s seasoning blend, to taste
- 8-10 leftover crawfish boil mini corn cobs, kernels cut from the cobs to make about 4 cups
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté until the onions are clear. Add the corn and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cook until almost all evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, bring to a boil, and cook until the sauce is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve as a side dish as is or you could also serve over rice.
What are your favorite ways to use up crawfish boil leftovers?
