Crawfish Mac and Cheese
 
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 3 cups whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (16-ounce) package cooked crawfish tails, drained
  • 4 cups shredded fontina cheese, divided
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
  • 1 (16-ounce) package bucatini, cooked according to package directions
  • Tomato Gravy (recipe follows)
  • Brown Gravy (recipe follows)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread flour.
  2. Bake, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Leave oven on.
  3. In a medium Dutch oven, heat ¼ cup butter over medium heat until melted and bubbling. Add ½ cup browned flour (reserve remaining browned flour for Tomato Gravy and Browned Gravy); cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and cream, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Working in batches, add 3½ cups fontina and ½ cup Monterey Jack, a little at a time, whisking until completely combined after each addition. Add salt, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, and hot sauce (if using), whisking until completely combined.
  4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in crawfish, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cooked crawfish and pasta. Spoon into a 13x9-inch cast-iron pan. Cover with foil.
  5. Bake until bubbling, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle remaining ½ cup fontina and remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack on top, and bake for 10 minutes more. Let cool until firm enough to cut, about 1 hour. Serve with Tomato Gravy and Brown Gravy. Season to taste with black pepper.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/crawfish-mac-and-cheese/