Cajun Salmon Spread

Cajun Salmon Spread! This creamy Cajun-spiced salmon spread makes a great cracker topper for game day or any party! A wonderful recipe to make if you're looking to add something new and different to the typical party snack menu. Bonus: It takes minutes to make!

Well, the season has begun. Football season that is. Hello tailgating and game-watching... goodbye productive Saturdays.

It may come as no surprise that one of my favorite parts of football season is game day snacking. Whether it's cooking things up for an outdoor tailgate, or "HomeGating" in the comfort of the living room, I have so much fun preparing the old stand-bys and coming up with new additions to the game day smorgasbord.

This year, we're planning on making our yearly pilgrimage to Gainesville for a game, but to add to the excitement, we're also hosting a football-centric housewarming party in our new home. To make it easy on me {I tend to go a little overboard with the food...}, my husband is insisting on getting the bulk of the food catered, leaving me to focus on just snacks. {Don't worry, I will still find a way to stress myself out. 😛 }

Truth be told, the smaller bites and snacks are my favorite part of football food. Dips, spreads and salsas set out with all the crunchy dippers make for  hours of endless munching and keep just about everyone happy.

Since so many football snacks tend to be meaty, I decided to come up with a pescatarian-friendly bite to add to the mix: Cajun Salmon Spread!

This creamy, spiced-up spread couldn't be any easier to make. I combined cream cheese, a few tablespoons of mayo, Cajun seasoning and scallions with canned salmon, whipped everything together and let the flavors intensify in the fridge. Set out with a variety of crackers and dippers, and it's super-simple spread that will disappear fast while the football-watching takes place. Alternatively, you can spread the mixture on a wrap or piece of lavash and create a fun little pinwheel appetizer.

Canned salmon is not something I normally purchase, but it's a really nice pantry item to have on hand for last minute recipes. The flavor of the canned Wild Alaskan pink salmon I purchased was surprisingly mild, and after combining with the rest of the ingredients, the spread was reminiscent of a smoked fish dip that you might get at a sports bar. If the thought of canned salmon doesn't appeal to you, I think this would turn out just fine with a flaked cooked salmon filet or even chopped smoked salmon for an extra punch of flavor. {Beware of the salt content, though, because I felt that this was on the salty side and adding smoked salmon could send it over the top.}

Side note: It goes without saying, but feel free to sub sour cream or Greek yogurt for the mayo if you're not a fan, or use light cream cheese to cut some calories. But I mean, it's game day, so I say live it up!

It's too bad our team will be playing Tennessee and not LSU this weekend -- the Cajun spice would have been a great match for a game day against Louisiana!

What are your favorite football-watching foods? Do you have any tried and true game day snacks that you look forward to every year? I'd love to hear about them!

If you're looking to add something new to your sports-viewing spread, give this recipe a try! Go Team!

Cajun Salmon Spread

The Kitchen Prep

Cajun Salmon Spread! This creamy Cajun-spiced salmon spread makes a great cracker topper for game day or any party! A wonderful recipe to make if you’re looking to add something new and different to the typical party snack menu. Bonus: It takes minutes to make!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings 1 cups spread

Ingredients

  

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning*
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 6 ounces 1 can of salmon drained
• 2 scallions chopped {both white and green parts}

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, mayonnaise and Cajun seasoning and hot sauce until smooth and well combined. {I used a hand mixer to make it easier, but you can also use a mixing spoon and some elbow grease if you're up for it.}
• Add the drained salmon and mix until well-combined. Fold in the scallions.
• Cover and refrigerate or 1-2 hours or overnight. You could serve this right away, but letting it sit allows the flavors to marry, so I recommend doing so if possible.
• Serve with crackers, raw veggies or use as a spread on wraps and cut into pinwheels.

Notes

*Some Cajun seasonings contain more salt than others, so be sure to read the ingredients as to not over-salt your spread.