Cajun Mac and Cheese Recipe

Cajun Mac and Cheese Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time:  15-20 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy
Servings: 6 Servings

It is hard to imagine life without creamy, gooey, intoxicating macaroni and cheese. It's that golden, quintessential comfort food that makes us all swoon, but add Cajun seasoning and Andouille sausage to the mix, and your tastebuds will be elevated to a whole new level. Hello!

 Why mess with this perfectly dreamy comfort food, you ask? Variety is the spice of life, friends. It seems wrong to mess with perfection, we get it, but trust us, change is good every once in a while, especially if you want to spice up your meal rotation.

Our macaroni and cheese version features Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (adds a unique tang), and savory Andouille sausage, a delicious combination guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds and wow your family.

So, the next time your family hankers for Mac and Cheese, surprise them and tantalize their tastebuds with your culinary Cajun creation! This tasty dish may be their new go-to mac and cheese recipe. (It could happen;)

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this flavorful recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups Dried Macaroni

• 1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained

• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour

• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter, melted

• 1 1/2 cups half and half (or milk), warmed in the microwave

• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, more If Desired

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1 pound Cheese, Grated (Use a combination of Cheddar and Monterery Jack or your favorite combintaion)

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning

• Cherchies® Cajun Cornbread Recipe (optional)

Preparations

Prepare macaroni according to package directions, and drain.  While the macaroni is cooking, in a medium skillet, cook the sliced sausage and chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat, turning occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and onions are translucent.  Add the drained Pretty Peppers. Turn the heat off and set the mixture aside.

In a small pan, combine the flour and melted butter.  This will be your roux to thicken the sauce. Cook for a few minutes on low, then slowly add the warmed milk to the roux.   Add the champagne mustard and dry mustard to the mixture, stir, and then for the best part...the CHEESE!   Add the glorious cheese to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.  I tend to use whatever cheese we have on hand, but cheddar and Monterey Jack work nicely in this dish.

Pour the cheese sauce into the skillet with the sausage and mix to combine.  Add the drained macaroni noodles and Cajun Seasoning and cook on low until warmed through.

Serve with our Cajun Cornbread Recipe and our Strawberry Spinach Salad for a complete meal!  Enjoy!

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Cook Time:

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves 6-8

You don't have to visit the "Big Easy" to appreciate Louisiana's culinary heritage and robust flavors. Étouffée means "smothered" and is a sought-after dish in Louisiana, a stew with vegetables and seafood, enveloped in flavorful seasonings, and served over rice. This tasty Shrimp Étouffée Recipe, featuring Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning Blend, is the perfect comfort food to enjoy at home. No traveling is necessary.

My hubby and I visited NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) a few years back. We fell in love with the culture, the arts, and of course, being the foodies we are, the food, especially étouffée, Cajun comfort in every bite! It made such an impression I came home and immediately worked on developing our own Cajun Seasoning so we could enjoy the flavors of Louisiana whenever the mood struck and share them with you!

This recipe, inspired by the rich roots of Louisiana, was amazingly flavorful and will become a favorite among your family and friends. Bring a taste of Cajun Country to your table and savor the soul of Louisiana with this easy, tasty dish. Your family and guests will thank you! Serve this recipe with our Cajun Cornbread Recipe and a green salad for a complete meal!

Comment below and let us know if you made this easy, flavorful dish. Thank you for visiting.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. frozen cooked shrimp, without tails and deveined (Could use raw shrimp)

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1 cup diced white onions

• 1/2 cup diced green onions

• 1 cup diced celery

• 3/4 cup diced green pepper

• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic

• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes 

• 3 cups seafood stock

• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

• 1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce

• 2 Tbsp. Cherchies Cajun Seasoning

Preparation

Chop and assemble all ingredients before you start the cooking process.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mix until smooth paste forms.  Keep stirring until lightly browned.  This is called a roux.  Add all the diced and minced ingredients to the hot roux.  Stir and cook until ingredients are softened about 5 minutes.

Add the diced tomatoes and the seafood stock.  Cook and additional 5 to 6 minutes or until veggies are done to your liking.  If sauce becomes to thick, add additional seafood stock.  Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, shrimp, and Cherchies Cajun Seasoning and cook until heated through.  

Serve the etouffee over rice, or mashed potatoes.  Keep the hot sauce on the side for those who like it hotter.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Étouffée Recipe

Baked Cajun Shrimp Boil Recipe

Baked Cajun Shrimp Boil Recipe

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

Round three for our new Cajun Seasoning! Celebrate Summer with a fun, easy New Orleans inspired shrimp boil, guaranteed to impress your family and guests.  Unlike traditional shrimp boils as the name implies, this version is roasted on a sheet pan in the oven, so clean up is a cinch.

If you are looking for a quick and easy Louisiana-style dinner, tantalize your taste buds with this mouth-watering Cajun recipe, featuring succulent shrimp, sweet summer corn, savory sausage, fresh peppers and potatoes, and Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning. This recipe is so easy and delicious it will surely become your new go-to summer meal, or anytime you have a hankering for Louisiana flavor.  Serve this dish with our Cajun Cornbread Recipe or Our Best Darn Garlic Bread Recipe for a complete meal.

Try it and let us know what you think.  We would love to hear from you!  Thank you for stopping by!

Ingredients

• 8 yellow potatoes, cut into fourths (baby potatoes would also work nicely)
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) salt (use for boiling potatoes)
• 1 yellow pepper, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 ears corn, each cut crosswise into thirds
• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) olive oil or cooking spray
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (12.8-ounce) package s andouille sausage, sliced into 1 Inch pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large baking pan with Parchment Paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.   

Chop the peppers, corn, and potatoes and set aside.  Slice the sausage into 1-inch pieces.  (* Note: In the picture, I initially cut the sausage into 3-inch pieces, but they cooked longer, so you need to slice them into 1-inch pieces to ensure even cooking.  My family gobbled up this dish before I could retake another picture).

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of salted water for about 10 minutes to soften.  Drain.

In a small bowl, melt butter and add Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning and garlic.  Mix.

To the oiled baking dish, add the corn, peppers, potatoes, sausage, and shrimp.

Pour the butter mixture over the ingredients and gently mix with hands coat.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 12-15 minutes or until shrimp are pink and sausage is cooked.  Remove from oven and serve with lemon wedges.  Enjoy!

Baked Cajun Shrimp Boil Recipe

Cajun Tilapia Recipe

Cajun Tilapia Recipe

Prep Time:  10 Minutes

Cooking Time:  20 Minutes

Difficulty:  Extremely easy

Are looking for a quick and easy flavorful family-friendly meal perfect for those busy nights? Look no further, with only three ingredients; a mouth-watering Cajun-inspired dinner is 25 minutes away. 

You know this recipe is good when your child says, "Mom, we should have fish for dinner more often."  Did he really just say that?  

The secret to this savory dish is our newest addition, Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning, a rich blend of peppers, garlic, paprika, onion and other delicious spices. This mix is divine in eggs, casseroles, and stews, as a dip, or sprinkled on meat and seafood for that Cajun flair.

For this savory recipe, we used Tilapia, but any seafood would suffice.  In continuing with the Cajun theme, we sprinkled some Cajun Seasoning on store-bought tater tots, whipped up a batch of our Cajun Cornbread Recipe, baked everything at the same time, added a crisp green salad, and voila, dinner was ready in 25 minutes.

So next time you have a hankering for Cajun, spice up your dinner routine and savor the bold flavors of Louisiana with this delicious fish recipe featuring our new, Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning.  Your family will thank you, and may even ask for "fish more often." ;)

We would love to hear what you think about our new seasoning blend.  Thank you for stopping by!

Ingredients

• 4 Fresh or frozen Tilapia fillet or other white fish (amount depending on crowd)
• Olive oil
• Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning
• Lemon wedges (optional)
• Store-bought frozen tater tots (optional)
• Cherchies® Cajun Cornbread Recipe (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle a baking pan with a little olive oil, just enough to prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom.  Place the fish in the baking pan and drizzle the fish with about 1 teaspoon (tsp) per filet.  

Sprinkle each fillet with a generous amount of Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning, to taste.  The more you add, the bolder it will be.  If using tater tots on the side, in a separate pan, sprinkle the tots with some of the seasoning blend, again to taste.  You can also whip up a batch of Cajun Cornbread Recipe to accompany the fish.

Bake fish (and tater tots and cornbread) in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Fish should flake easily with a fork when it is done.  Serve with lemon wedges (optional)!  Enjoy!

Cajun Tilapia Recipe