Boudin King Cake
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • ½ cup red pepper jelly, such as Tabasco
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 pound boudin links
  • 1 (8-ounce) package pepper jack cheese, cut into planks
  • 2 (8-ounce) cans Pillsbury Crescent dough sheets or French bread sheets, 1 sheet per can
  • 1 large egg, beaten, for brushing
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ cup crumbled bacon
  • ½ cup diced green onion tops
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. For the glaze, in a saucepan over medium heat, add the red pepper jelly and let cook until it softens and begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Add the water and stir until it thins out. Turn off the heat and keep warm.
  3. Lay out 2 links of boudin, and with a sharp paring knife, slice down the length of the boudin casing. Peel off the casing and discard. Slice halfway into the boudin the full length of the link. Wedge a plank of cheese into the opening at intervals along the boudin. Push down and close up the boudin around the cheese.
  4. Open a dough sheet package and unroll the sheet. Place the cylinder of cheese-stuffed boudin on the sheet and roll the dough around. Cut off the excess and pinch the ends closed. Repeat with the second link of boudin.
  5. On a metal baking tray sprayed with non-stick spray, place the 2 dough-wrapped boudin cylinders and join them together at the ends to form a circle. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
  6. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
  7. With a spoon or brush, drizzle and paint the pepper jelly over the top of the hot pastry. Sprinkle the top with crumbled bacon and diced green onion tops.
  8. Serve on the baking tray by slicing the boudin king cake into portions and calling your guests while it’s piping hot.
Notes
In Louisiana, freshly made boudin is sold most everywhere (even gas stations), but if you want to make your own, follow my Cajun Boudin recipe here. Boudin links (casing removed) make this easy and are the perfect size for rolling in one sheet of dough. Keep the boudin and the dough cold for ease of handling. The Crescent dough SHEETS (not the rolls) are a relatively new product (at least, for me), and I find them in many (but not all) supermarkets. Use the Pillsbury French bread sheets as a substitute. When opening, the dough sheet should roll out neatly, but if it tears, just pinch it back together with your fingers. Scale up this recipe by matching each link of boudin with a dough sheet (and more cheese, of course). For the inside dough to cook, and the cheese to melt, it is essential to let the bread bake until golden brown. To reheat, place the baking tray back into the oven set on 200ºF until just warmed through. UPDATE: An avid follower of Acadiana Table makes a fresh Italian sausage and mozarella version of this recipe; I'm trying that next time.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/2024/01/15/boudin-king-cake/