Crawfish, Beef, Sausage Casserole

12 servings Prep: 20 m Cook: 55 m Total: 1 h 15 m Intermediate
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This recipe shows the versatility of three popular Cajun favorites—crawfish, beef, and sausage—all layered with broccoli, rice, and creamy soup for a hearty casserole. Fresh pork sausage or smoked sausage may be used and crawfish or shrimp may be swapped.

Ingredients

12 servings
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork sausage, or 1/2 pound Jimmy Dean sausage or 1 pound smoked sausage
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper finely chopped
  • 3 ribs celery finely chopped
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 pound chopped fresh or thawed frozen broccoli
  • 2 pounds crawfish tails
  • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cans cream of celery soup
  • 2 1/2 cups raw rice - cooked
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Prepare rice according to package directions (this will take about 20 minutes). While rice is cooking, brown beef and sausage in a large skillet; remove meat and drain excess oil.
  2. Sauté onion, bell pepper and celery in butter until transparent, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli and cook on medium heat for five minutes until tender.
  4. Add crawfish tails, browned beef and sausage and soups. Mix well and add cooked rice.
  5. Place in two inch deep 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
  6. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes until bubbly and cheese is golden.
  7. This dish freezes well however wait to add the rice once the dish is taken out of the freezer and it is completely thawed.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Can I use leftover rice instead of cooking fresh?

A: Yes, leftover rice works great. You'll need about 6-7 cups of cooked rice. Just make sure to break up any clumps before mixing it in.

Q: The casserole seems dry after baking. What went wrong?

A: You may need to add a little more soup or a splash of chicken broth. Rice absorbs liquid as it sits, so if you let the mixture sit before baking, it may need extra moisture.

Q: Can I assemble this ahead of time?

A: Yes, assemble everything except the cheese topping, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10-15 minutes to the baking time if going straight from the fridge to the oven, and add the cheese during the last 15 minutes.

Tips and Techniques

When freezing this casserole, divide it into smaller portions for easier thawing and reheating. You can also brown extra meat and freeze it separately to make future batches even quicker to assemble.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • crawfish tails: shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ground pork sausage: andouille sausage, diced
  • cream of mushroom/celery soup: homemade white sauce or béchamel
  • fresh broccoli: frozen broccoli florets

Equipment Needed

  • Large skillet or sauté pan for browning meat
  • Medium pot for cooking rice
  • 9 x 13 inch baking dish (2 inches deep)
  • Wooden spoon or spatula for mixing

Historical Context

This type of layered casserole became popular in Cajun home cooking as a way to stretch expensive seafood like crawfish by combining it with more affordable proteins and rice—a staple of Louisiana cooking.