JAZZ FEST STUFFED CRAWFISH BREAD

Jazz Fest Stuffed Crawfish Bread

Serves 12

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup butter, plus more (melted) for brushing

• 2 cups onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 pound peeled Louisiana crawfish tails with fat

• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

• 2 loaves frozen bread dough, such as Bridgeford, defrosted

• 1½ cups mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

• 1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Method: 

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté 5 to 10 minutes or until translucent. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper and garlic, sauté 5 to 8 minutes. Add crawfish, green onion, hot sauce, and salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes to marry flavors. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Roll each defrosted loaf of bread dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle in half width-wise. Spoon half the crawfish mixture into center of each piece; top with half of each type of cheese. Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal, fully enclosing filling. Cut 2-inch slits on top of filled dough for venting. Repeat with remaining dough and crawfish mixture. Place loaves on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.

Cool 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Note: Stuffed loaves may be cooked halfway, cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen. To finish, bring to room temperature, unwrap, and complete baking to serve.