Description
A delightful recipe featuring fluffy baked Russet potatoes stuffed with a creamy, cheesy seafood mixture of crawfish and shrimp, seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with melted cheese and fresh chives. Perfect for a comforting seafood dinner with a rich, flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 4 baking size Russet potatoes
Seafood
- 1 lb crawfish tails, drained of fat
- 1 lb raw shrimp
Seasonings & Aromatics
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (divided)
- 2 tbsp liquid crab boil (divided)
- 2 tbsp onion powder (divided)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder (for potato mixture)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chives or green onions for garnish
Dairy & Cheese
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter (divided)
- 4 tbsp flour
- 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded American cheese (Velveeta)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus extra for topping)
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
Instructions
- Prepare the Potatoes: Wash, scrub, and dry the Russet potatoes thoroughly. Poke small holes all over each potato with a fork to vent during cooking.
- Cook the Potatoes: You can either wrap the potatoes in foil and bake at 400°F for 40-50 minutes or wrap each potato individually in paper towels and microwave on the ‘potato’ setting one at a time until tender. If the microwave lacks a potato setting, cook on HIGH for 5 minutes, turn over, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until fork-tender.
- Prepare Potato Mixture: Once cooked, carefully slice each potato down the middle without cutting through the bottom skin. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl and reserve the skins. Add cream cheese, chives or green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
- Season the Seafood: In a bowl, combine the shrimp and crawfish. Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon onion powder, and 1 tablespoon liquid crab boil. Set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Seafood: In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the seasoned shrimp and crawfish and cook for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are fully cooked. Remove seafood and set aside, reserving the cooking liquid by pouring it into a separate cup.
- Prepare the Sauce: In the same saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute until no lumps remain. Gradually whisk in the reserved seafood liquid followed by the half and half. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, stirring frequently. Add 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning and 1 tablespoon onion powder.
- Add Cheese and Seafood: As the sauce thickens, stir in the American cheese, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan until fully melted. Return the cooked seafood to the sauce and stir until heated through. Turn off the heat.
- Assemble the Stuffed Potatoes: Spoon the creamy potato mixture evenly back into the reserved potato skins. Sprinkle additional mozzarella cheese on top of each potato.
- Finish and Serve: Ladle the cheese and seafood sauce generously over each stuffed potato. Garnish with chopped chives or green onions. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- If your microwave doesn’t have a potato setting, cook the potatoes on HIGH for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until tender.
- Ensure not to cut all the way through the potato skin when scooping out the flesh to keep the skins intact for stuffing.
- Use fresh seafood for best flavor, but frozen shrimp and crawfish can be used if thawed properly.
- This recipe is great for doubling if feeding a larger crowd.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Cajun
