Crawfish Casserole I

10 servings Prep: 20 m Cook: 1 h 30 m Total: 1 h 50 m Beginner
4.0/5 (1)
A combination casserole of meat and seafood - from the oven to the table. This is one of the easiest no fail recipes for dressing. The flavor is incredible with crawfish tails, ground beef, and rice all baked together. As with any recipe that contains crawfish, shrimp maybe substituted, you could even mix the two and add crab meat.

Ingredients

10 servings
  • 1 pound ground chuck, browned and drained
  • 1 pound crawfish tails
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup each parsley and scallions (onion tops)
  • 1 small jar chopped pimentos
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1 cup raw long grain rice
  • Season to taste with black pepper, cayenne, onion and garlic powder

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Brown the ground chuck in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat and set aside.
  3. Dissolve the beef bouillon cube in 1/4 cup hot water.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the browned ground chuck, crawfish tails, cream of mushroom soup, chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, parsley, scallions, pimentos, and raw rice.
  5. Add the dissolved bouillon and season to taste with black pepper, cayenne, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
  6. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart covered casserole dish.
  7. Bake covered at 350°F in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Can I use frozen crawfish tails?

A: Absolutely. Thaw them completely and drain well before adding to the casserole. Frozen crawfish work just as well as fresh for baked dishes like this.

Q: My rice came out crunchy. What went wrong?

A: The casserole likely didn't have enough liquid or wasn't covered tightly. Make sure your casserole dish has a good seal and consider adding an extra 1/4 cup of water if your rice is particularly dry or old.

Q: Can I prepare this ahead of time?

A: Yes, you can mix all the ingredients and refrigerate in the casserole dish for up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time if starting from cold.

Tips and Techniques

Make sure to keep the casserole covered during the entire baking time—this traps the steam needed to cook the raw rice. If you prefer a browned top, remove the cover for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • crawfish tails: shrimp, crab meat, or a combination of seafood
  • ground chuck: ground turkey or ground pork
  • cream of mushroom soup: cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup
  • long grain rice: jasmine rice or converted rice

Equipment Needed

  • 2-quart covered casserole dish
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Skillet for browning meat

Historical Context

Crawfish casseroles like this became popular in Louisiana homes as an easier alternative to more time-intensive crawfish dishes. By using cream of mushroom soup and baking everything together, busy cooks could get authentic crawfish flavor on the table with minimal fuss.