Lunch: Crawfish and Andouille Cornbread Dressing

Recipe by Barbara Chernetz Bored with the same old Thanksgiving sides? Add zest to your plate with this Cajun-style cornbread stuffing, which showcases tender crawfish and spicy Andouille sausage.

Ingredients

3 lb. prepared cornbread
6 thick slices smoked bacon
3/4 lb. andouille sausage
1 large sweet onion
1 medium red bell pepper
1/2 c. diced celery
2 jalapeño chiles
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
3 c. cooked crawfish tails or small shrimp
4 scallions
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. Creole spice
2 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
2 large eggs

Instructions

Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Place cornbread in a large roasting pan. Bake 30 minutes, gently stirring cubes twice, until lightly toasted and firm. Cool completely. Place cubes in a large bowl. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and fat has been rendered; remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. To drippings in skillet, add andouille, onion, bell pepper, celery, chiles, garlic, and thyme; sauté 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until andouille is golden brown. Add mixture to cornbread with crawfish, scallions, parsley, Creole spice, and bacon bits and toss. Whisk broth, cream, and eggs in a 4-cup measure; drizzle over cornbread mixture and gently toss until evenly moistened. Spoon dressing into prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
Forty-five minutes before serving the turkey, place stuffing in a 350-degree oven; bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until stuffing is hot, browned, and slightly crisp on top. Nutritional information is based on a 1/2-cup serving.

Add a review for Crawfish and Andouille Cornbread Dressing