Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese
31 comments » 
The 30 days of macaroni and cheese are back! Every January/February for the last few years I have teamed up with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board to share a new macaroni and cheese recipe with you in conjunction with their blog, 30 Days, 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese. I am all-in with anything that involves large amounts of pasta and cheese, so creating these recipes is right up my alley! This year, the WMMB put a new spin on the mac n’ cheese recipes; we’re taking favorite classic dishes and turning them into macaroni and cheese. The possibilities for this are absolutely endless and I had a heck of a time narrowing down my ideas. In the end, I settled on a rendition of Cajun shrimp, which is a popular dish in the south. Spicy shrimp is cooked up and served alongside either rice, grits or a loaf of bread for sopping up the spicy sauce (yum). I thought that spicy shrimp would be the perfect pairing for a creamy mac and cheese dish; turns out, I was right!
I loaded up my favorite basic baked macaroni and cheese recipe (seen here and here) with spicy shrimp, pepper jack cheese for an extra kick, and topped it with light-as-air Panko bread crumbs. The dish isn’t too spicy (my mom is really sensitive to spicy dishes, and she thought the mac and cheese was fabulous, the spice not too overpowering), so if you like your Cajun shrimp to be fiery hot, I’d add a little cayenne pepper to the blend of seasonings. All in all, the creamy, cheesy pasta is the perfect partner for the spicy shrimp. A match made in heaven, for sure.
My brain won’t stop trying to convert all of my favorite dishes into macaroni and cheese now! I’m still not convinced that’s a bad problem to have, though 
What’s your favorite version of macaroni and cheese?
Head over to the Macaroni and Cheese Blog and spend an entire month drooling over macaroni and cheese recipes. That’s my plan!
One year ago: Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Two years ago: Hot Reuben Dip
Three years ago: Cranberry-White Chocolate Almond Biscotti
Five years ago: Black and White Chocolate Cake
Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
A spicy Cajun shrimp version of my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe.
Ingredients:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, divided
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 pound cavatappi pasta (or shaped pasta of your choice)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
12 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
1 cup Panko bread crumbsDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta; cover.
2. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and ½ teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is all pink and cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente pasta (if your box doesn't specify al dente, cook it for 1 to 2 minutes shorter than the time called for - it shouldn't be cooked the whole way through). When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it in a colander.
4. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer.
5. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, stir in 9 ounces each of the Pepper Jack and 6 ounces of the cheddar cheese, adding a handful at a time and stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.
6. Add the cooked, drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
7. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the Panko bread crumbs.
8. Sprinkle the macaroni and cheese with the remaining shredded cheeses. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the cheese.
9. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
(Recipe adapted from ABC News)
print
save
email
30 days of mac and cheese = bliss! I love this twist on it!
Reply
Yummy! Shrimp makes anything better!
Reply
Yum, this sounds incredible! You really can’t go wrong with mac and cheese
Reply
Delicious!
Reply
Your macaroni looks amazing!! I love the idea of shrimp in it!! Awesome recipe!!
Reply
Such a great idea for mac & cheese!
Reply
We have an awesome little restaurant here in Central Ohio. It is at the Unusual Junction and called The Lava Rock Grill. They make mac and cheese and you can order your own add ins. It is awesome! I get broccoli, ham, tomatoes and mushrooms. They mix it all up.top.with buttered bread crumbs and broil them toasty. Heaven! You can like The Lava Rock Grill on facebook. I hit Pittsburgh often. My daughter and her family live in Edgewood. Love your blog!
Reply
This would make my husband so happy. He loves mac and cheese and seafood.
Reply
I bet this is super good! Awhile ago I made this: http://www.sugardishme.com/2012/02/21/firecracker-shrimp-macaroni-cheese/
after reading the phrase “Firecracker Shrimp Mac ‘n’ Cheese” on a restaurant menu. It’s still one of my favorites!!
Reply
Homemade mac and cheese is the best! Love the addition of shrimp!
Reply
OK, I have already seen this all over pinterest and I LOVE it! Such an amazing idea. Going to for sure make this for my husband, who loves mac and cheese AND all things Cajun! YUM!
Reply
What a great change up!
Reply
Definitely not a problem – the more mac n cheese creations, the better! Nothing beats homemade mac n cheese!
Reply
This sounds amazing, and I love that it isn’t too spicy. I’m a big heat wimp
And how cute is your little bowl, just perfect for the dish!
Reply
I just made some macaroni and cheese and threw some green chili into it. I am from PA originally and never really ate green chili, but I moved to AZ 10 years ago and it’s everywhere here. Anyway, it was FANTASTIC. So maybe you can come up with a new recipe for green chili mac & cheese with chicken or something. YUM!
Reply
Mac and cheese is so good and comforting, love your twist!
Reply
Ohhhh holy geez!! I have been loving Mac n cheese month – and this one totally just took the whole thing. I did spinach artichoke mac for the mac month- but I’ve been having unrelenting cravings for shrmp and cajun things lately, this totally pushed me over the EDGE!!
Reply
This is definitely getting made for Fat Tuesday along with the Buckeye brownies from yesterday….if I can wait that long!
I may have to have a “practice run night”!
Reply
This sounds so good- I love spicy! There seriously are so many different variations to choose from for mac & cheese, but I’ve never thought of adding shrimp!
Reply
Oooo, I think I’m in love with you now. Shrimp is a definite favorite of mine so to incorporate it and spiciness into mac and cheese makes me very very happy…and hungry
Reply
This could very easily become my new favorite mac and cheese recipe! Looks fantastic!!
Reply
Oh. My. Wow. Totally pinning this. I love the idea of these flavors together!
Reply
Perfect meal for lent!
Reply
this sounds delicious, do you use uncooked shrimp?
Reply
Michelle on February 10th, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Hi Gail, Yes you start with uncooked shrimp; it gets cooked in step #2.
Reply
Um that mug-ish thing is ADORABLE! Where could I get me hands on one?
Reply
Michelle on February 10th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Hi Molly, I got it at either Marshalls or TJMaxx (can’t remember which one). It was one of those one-off things in their kitchen section that was too cute not to snatch up!
Reply
Making this one on Wednesday… the start of lent and lots of fish
Reply
What size shrimp did you use?
Reply
Michelle on February 11th, 2013 at 9:36 am
Hi Liz, I believe I used medium-size shrimp, but it truly doesn’t matter since you’re chopping it up.
Reply
Love cajun and your recipe. Featured it on my Friday Five – Cajun addition over @ Feed Your Soul Too – http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/friday-five-cajun-addition/
Reply