Go Back
Creole seafood pot pie with golden Cheddar Bay biscuit topping

Creole Seafood Pot Pie with Cheddar Bay Biscuit Topping

This Creole Seafood Pot Pie combines the rich, savory flavors of shrimp étouffée and seafood gumbo with the comfort of a classic pot pie. Shrimp, crawfish, and lump crab are simmered in a creamy Creole-style roux with the holy trinity, garlic, seafood stock, and bold seasonings, then topped with fluffy, cheesy Cheddar Bay-style biscuits and baked until golden brown and bubbling. It's the ultimate Southern seafood comfort food.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Cajun, Creole, Southern
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Creole Seafood Filling
  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 8 ounces crawfish tail meat (optional) drained
  • 8 ounces lump crab meat (optional) picked over for shells
  • 8 ounces andouille sausage
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 2 celery ribs diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups seafood stock divided
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 or 2 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
Cheddar Bay Biscuit Topping
Easy version:
  • 1 11.36-ounce box Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix
  • Ingredients required on package
  • 1/2 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese optional
Garlic Butter Topping
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
  • Pinch of Cajun or Creole seasoning

Equipment

  • Large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven
  • 6 oven-safe soup bowls or 12–16 oz ramekins
  • Cutting Board
  • Chef’s knife
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • whisk
  • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
  • Mixing bowl
  • Biscuit scoop or large spoon
  • Pastry cutter if making homemade biscuits

Method
 

Preheat the oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Arrange six oven-safe soup bowls or 12–16-ounce ramekins on a large sheet pan. The sheet pan makes the individual pot pies easier to transfer and catches any filling that bubbles over during baking.
  3. If you're not using an oven-safe skillet, lightly grease a 9x13-inch or approximately 3-quart baking dish and set aside.
Season the shrimp
  1. Pat the shrimp dry and lightly season with a little Cajun or Creole seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
Make the roux
  1. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
  2. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until completely combined.
  3. Cook the roux for approximately 8–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until it develops a light to medium brown, peanut-butter-like color and a nutty aroma.
  4. Don't take the roux as dark as you would for a traditional gumbo. A lighter roux retains more thickening power, which helps create the rich pot pie consistency we're looking for.
Brown the andouille and cook the trinity
  1. Add the diced andouille sausage and cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown and releases some of its flavorful fat.
  2. Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and celery directly to the roux.
  3. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  4. Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.
  5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for approximately 1–2 minutes to caramelize it slightly.
Make the Creole gravy
  1. Gradually pour in 3 cups seafood stock, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
  2. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and bay leaf.
  3. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken.
Add the cream
  1. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.
  2. Continue cooking for another 2–3 minutes.
  3. The filling should be thick and creamy but still have enough liquid to coat the seafood generously. If it becomes too thick, gradually add some of the remaining seafood stock until you reach the desired consistency.
Add the seafood
  1. Add the crawfish tails and seasoned shrimp.
  2. Cook for only 1–2 minutes, just until the shrimp begin turning pink. They do not need to cook completely because they'll finish cooking in the oven.
  3. Gently fold in the lump crab meat, being careful not to break up the large pieces.
  4. Remove the bay leaf.
Finish the filling
  1. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, chopped parsley, and green onions.
  2. Taste and adjust the salt, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce as needed.
  3. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Assemble thePot Pies
  1. Divide the seafood and andouille filling evenly among your oven-safe soup bowls or ramekins.
  2. Fill each approximately 3/4 full, leaving enough room at the top for the filling to bubble without overflowing.
  3. You also want to make sure each bowl gets a good mixture of shrimp, crawfish, crab, and andouille.
Prepare the Cheddar Bay biscuits
  1. Prepare the Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix according to the package directions.
  2. For an extra-cheesy topping, fold an additional 1/2 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar into the biscuit dough.
  3. Using a large spoon or scoop, drop portions of biscuit dough evenly over the seafood filling.
  4. Leave a little space between each biscuit so the filling can bubble up around the edges and the biscuits can expand as they bake.
Top each seafood Pot Pie
  1. Scoop biscuit dough onto the center of each ramekin.
  2. For larger soup bowls, you can use 2 smaller scoops of biscuit dough instead of one large biscuit. I actually prefer this because you get more golden edges and it's easier for the biscuit to bake through.
  3. Don't completely seal the top of the ramekin with biscuit dough.
  4. Leave some of the seafood filling exposed around the perimeter. This allows steam to escape, gives the biscuit room to rise, and creates that beautiful bubbling seafood-gravy-around-the-biscuit look.
Bake the seafood pot pie
  1. Place the sheet pan of individual seafood pot pies into the preheated 425°F oven.
  2. Bake at 425°F for 18–23 minutes, or until the seafood filling is bubbling around the edges and the biscuits are risen and golden brown.
  3. Depending on the size and depth of your bowls, the biscuits may need another 2–3 minutes.
Make the garlic butter
  1. While the pot pie is baking, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, parsley, and a small pinch of Cajun seasoning.
Finish and serve
  1. As soon as the seafood pot pies comes out of the oven, generously brush the warm biscuits with the garlic-herb butter.
  2. Garnish with additional parsley and sliced green onions.
  3. Allow the pot pies to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This gives the seafood gravy time to thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop.

Notes

Ramekin size: I recommend 12–16 oz oven-safe ramekins or soup crocks. If you're using smaller 8-ounce ramekins, you'll likely get closer to 8 individual pot pies.
Don't overfill: Leave at least 1/2–1 inch of space between the filling and the rim. These WILL bubble.
Use a sheet pan: Even if you think they won't overflow. Trust me. It'll save you from cleaning seafood gravy off the bottom of your oven.
Don't overcook the seafood: You're only getting the shrimp started on the stovetop. They'll finish cooking while the biscuits bake.
Watch the biscuits: If they're browning too quickly but aren't cooked through in the center, loosely tent the tops with foil and continue baking.
For the best presentation: I'd use wide-mouth oven-safe soup crocks rather than narrow ramekins. You get a larger biscuit-to-filling ratio, more bubbling gravy visible around the edges, and a much better overhead shot.