Crawfish Bread

Holiday season is here! We’re always looking for unique Thanksgiving side dishes around this time of year and this easy but luxurious crawfish bread will make you believe that you’re in New Orleans. 

Before we get started, I wanted to give a big thank you for the team at Tony Chachere’s for sponsoring this recipe post. The goal was to make a festive dish for the holidays using our favorite seasoning, Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, and what better recipe to make than one that includes crawfish, cheese, and a fluffy loaf of bread?!

This Crawfish Bread is decadent without being fancy. It’s easy to make but your family will have their jaw on the floor when you said you made it ALL BY YOURSELF. It’s up there with my lil piggies as my favorite recipe to bring to a party and that is saying A LOT.

Tips for success – 

• Take the time and chop your veggies. I know this time is year is hectic beyond belief but there’s something therapeutic in chopping a bunch of veggies (plus the flavor is stronger 🤪)
• As always, I recommend buying the block of cheese and shredding yourself when you want to up your game. The melt and ooey-gooey factor is unmatched. The pre-shredded cheese could never compete!
• Pay close attention to the fact that we’re using unsalted butter. You can sub salted butter if you’d like, but if you’re looking to manage your sodium, this is a small way to start. Don’t worry, we’re not skimping on it elsewhere!
• Keep your stove/range heat consistent. I keep mine on medium-low the entire time until turning it off to add in the cheese. 

How to transport and store – 

So you’re bringing this to a party right? Here’s what I do.

• Make it the night before or at least an hour before and let it cool down enough to add to a storage container. DO NOT SLICE IT YET.
• When you get to the host’s house, add it to a warmed oven for 10 minutes and then slice there and serve warm. 

What are my substitution options?

I’m glad you asked. You can swap out a couple of things and still have a delicious appetizer.

• Swap crawfish or shrimp or crab or mushrooms – the overall flavor will change with each swap, but you’re already aware of that…right?
• Swap mayo for vegan mayo or Greek yogurt 
• Swap French bread for any multigrain loaf or a gluten-free option. 
• You can swap the type of cheese used. Some similar recipes will call for provolone, mozzarella, or even a Mexican blend. It’s completely up to you BUT I do love this combo the best. 

Ok, I’m in! What should I make next?

Here are my other Thanksgiving favorites

• Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
• The Best Roasted Asparagus 
• Madeline’s Mac and Cheese (for the kiddos)

Print Recipe

Crawfish Bread

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Cool Time10 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 loaves

Cost: $15

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ yellow onion diced small
• ½ red bell pepper diced small
• 2 stalks celery diced small
• 3 cloves garlic smashed and diced small
• 1 pound crawfish cooked and thawed if frozen
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1.5 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon creole mustard
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
• - 4 oz pepperjack cheese shredded
• 1 loaf of French bread

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a sauté pan, cook onion, bell pepper, and celery in unsalted butter for 10 minutes or until very soft. Keeping the stovetop heat on medium-low works best for me 🙂
• Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add crawfish and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add mayonnaise, Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, dried thyme, and creole mustard and cook another 2 minutes.
• Turn off heat and add in shredded cheeses. Mix to incorporate.
• Slice a loaf of French bread in half and top with mixture
• Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes and then slice and enjoy!