Let's take a moment to thank Zatarain's for sponsoring this
post
, Laissez les bons temps rouler
!!


Oh how I wish I was in New Orleans right now. Now would be the
perfect time to go because it’s Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras is a HUGE holiday in New
Orleans, and is celebrated during the two weeks prior to February 9th, which is
Fat Tuesday, the day before the start of the Lenten season.
I have wanted to go since I was in high school. Back then I had
visions of wandering down Bourbon Street, with the crowds of people, following
the parades, and dancing in the streets. I planned on staying up all night to
greet the dawn with the thousands of other party goers.
Nowadays, since I am much *koff* *koff* older, I look forward to
exploring the city, the architecture, the history, and of course the AH-mazing
food!
You can’t argue with the fact that for many people, Mardi Gras is
simply synonymous with good food, good times, and a general joie de vivre. So
to celebrate, here in Western Washington, I wanted to come up with something
extra nomalicious. I knew I wanted to make a jambalaya, but of course there is
no way that I am going to make a traditional jambalaya.
Me? Traditional? Ppfffttttt 

So while my little brain was turning and churning, I kept hearing
the Hank Williams' song Jambalaya.
" Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou......
....jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filé gumbo...."
©Hank Williams
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie? Hhmmmmmmm. Can we add a little mac
and cheese in there too? Oh yessssss!
And before anyone says cheese and seafood don't go together, let
me give you 4 words.
Lobster.Mac.And.Cheese.
While the Seattle area is known for many foodie-type things,
crawfish and andouille sausage are not among those things. But, lucky for me, a
new butcher shop opened in my little town last year and guess what they carry?
Crawfish and andouille sausage, which made me a happy happy girl!
I knew to start with the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell
peppers. The next thing needed? Cajun/Creole flavor, and Zatarain's had that
covered for me. I mean, they have been around for 125 years, I think they know
what they are doing right? I didn't want to play around experimenting with this
and that seasoning. I wanted the authentic taste of New Orleans in my bowl.
I have to admit that, even though I explained that a crawfish was
kind of like a shrimp and a lobster met and had a baby, a few here were a bit
nervous about them, but once they had this deliciousness in their face those
nerves disappeared. It was replaced by a look that I can only explain as
ravenous hunger.
Thank goodness I had already gotten my bowl because they pretty
much pushed me aside and attacked the pot like a bunch of wild beasts. I swear
there was grabbing, growling, and gnashing of teeth involved
!

RUDE!
Who are these people and where did they come from?
Oh ya, they are my family, and I actually gave birth to a few of
them. Such a proud moment *sigh*
The happy ending? Everyone loved this dish, and has begged that I
keep it in the meal rotation. HA that will teach them to doubt me!!
Side note - no people were harmed in the making of this recipe
Jambalaya Pasta with Crawfish and Sausage
Jambalaya Pasta with Crawfish and Sausage gives you all of the authentic flavors of your New Orlean's fave, all wrapped in a cheesy pasta dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced
- 1/2 pounds cooked crawfish tails (can sub small shrimp)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (can use any color)
- 1 tablespoon Zatarain's Creole Seasoning, plus more to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage, onions, celery, and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, and the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Zatarain's Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook and additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the stock, cream, and pasta. Taste and add more Zatarain's Creole Seasoning if desired. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 13 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking. Add the crawfish, recover, and cook an additional 2 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the crawfish are warm.
- Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and broil until cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly.
- Top with chopped green onions.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 25 mins. Total time: 40 mins.
Tags: andouille sausage, crawfish, jambalaya, cajun, creole, mac and cheese, Mardi Gras, Zatarain's
Nutritional information via Calorie Count
Make sure to follow Zatarain's on their
Now make sure to check out the other fab jambalaya recipe ideas from our Sunday Supper Tastemakers.
Appetizers and Soup
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Appetizers and Soup
- Chicken Jambalaya Soup from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Jambalaya Cajun Shrimp Bites from Daily Dish Recipes
- Skillet Jambalaya Dip from Life Tastes Good
- Tex Mex Jambalaya Taco Cups from Flavor Mosaic
- Chicken and Sausage Jamburritos from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Chicken and Shrimp Quinoa Jambalaya from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Crock Pot Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya from Serena Bakes Simply from Scratch
- Crock Pot Creole Jambalaya from Flour On My Face
- Easy Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
- Hawaiian Jambalaya from Shockingly Delicious
- Jambalaya Lettuce Wraps from Magnolia Days
- Jambalaya Pasta with Crawfish and Sausage from Bobbi’s Kozi Kitchen
- Jambalaya Salad Bowl from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Jambalaya Stuffed Baked Potatoes from Fearless Dining
- Jambalaya with Shrimp and Crispy Wings from Feeding Big
- Portuguese Style Jambalaya from Family Foodie
- Spicy Chicken Jambalaya with Sausages and Green Beans from Panning the Globe
- Turkey Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya from Cooking Chat
- Vegetarian Jambalaya Stuffed Red Peppers Casserole from The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Zatarain's Roasted Chicken with Jambalaya Stuffing from Recipes Food and Cooking
- Plus Versatile Jambalaya Recipes plus Seafood Jambalaya Frittata from Sunday Supper Movement
This post is sponsored by McCormick in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are those of the individual bloggers.
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I might lose all my manners and push you out of the way, too---your pasta looks fantastic!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz! Kevin described the dish to his coworkers and now THEY want me to make them a batch too!! I guess I know what I am sending him to work with on Tuesday :)
DeleteOh my heavens, crawfish!!! Now that is about as cajun/creole it comes!
ReplyDeletethis is very yummy.. I'll make it without the crawfish just to avoid the allergy.. :) :)
ReplyDeletehttp://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com/2016/01/two-skinless-boneless-chicken-halves.html
This looks and sounds absolutely DELICIOUS! Love your recipe.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shelby!
DeleteWhat an amazing decadent recipe! I can't get crawfish here (so sad) but I bet it would be great with shrimp as a sub!
ReplyDeleteThanks Renee, think it would be good with shrimp too, but there is a link to Amazon in the recipe and you can order frozen crawfish if you want to give it a try :)
DeleteSounds so good.Unfortunately I cant't have it.Heart diet. Sucks,I may have to cheat.
ReplyDeleteOoohhh that makes me so sad :( Maybe lowfat cheese?
DeleteI need to make this soon, it looks so amazing - lobster mac n cheese amazing - but even better with smoky sausages and all that delicious Creole spice!
ReplyDeleteYes! I have wanted to make lobster mac and cheese for a long time, but now that I made this I think this is better :)
DeleteMmm.. I need to find some Crawfish! This looks AMAZING!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Serena! I'll bet you could find some in Seattle, but if not they have them frozen on Amazon. I linked to them in the recipe :)
Delete