MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - SHRIMP CASSEROLE

I try to put seafood on the table more these days. This recipe popped up in one of my feeds and as we hadn't had shrimp for a while, I decided to take a look. Let's just say it exceeded our expectations as we both gave it a 10 out of 10. It suited our taste anyway and we look forward to trying it again next time shrimp is on the rotation. The food blog is called 'Cooktop Cove' and many thanks to Morgan Reed who is a contributing writer. The recipe can be found here. I recommend visiting, not only to look at tips about this recipe, but also to look at others. Great photos too.

Shrimp Casserole – serves 6

1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 sweet bell pepper, diced (red or green - I used red) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 cup sour cream 1 can (10.75 oz.) cream of mushroom soup 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional for garnish) Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until they just turn pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, sautéed vegetables and shrimp, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Stir until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.  Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if using.   I am adding Morgan's suggested variations and tips here:  For a different protein option, consider substituting the shrimp with diced cooked chicken or turkey. You can also add more vegetables such as celery, peas, or mushrooms for extra flavor and nutrition. If you like a bit of heat, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or some diced jalapeños. Lastly, using a blend of cheeses like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack can provide a nice twist to the flavor profile of the casserole.

We made this dish on Monday, January 27^th, 2025 for the first time. It was an excellent dish.

Gregg picked up a large bag of frozen shrimp from CostCo's the last time he was there, so we thawed those out for this dish, patting them dry before cooking them.

We downsized the ingredients to half as didn't want to have a lot of the shrimp left over. We still had leftovers but don't mind eating them one day later, though don't really want it around any longer.

Instead of cooking the rice with the broth, we had packets of already cooked Jasmine Rice in the freezer from Trader Joe’s. We used two packets, so we didn't need the long-grain rice or chicken broth. We added it to the veggies and shrimp in the mixing  and continued with the recipe.

There was a miscommunication on preparing as Gregg mixed the shrimp in with all the other ingredients (after first cooking them in the frying pan). I wasn't around at the time to read the directions. The original recipe had the shrimp lying on the top of the casserole and not mixing them in, but we were both happy with the way the casserole turned out. It was delicious and I wouldn't hesitate doing it this way again. I've mentioned it before, I'm corner to corner, would have put the shrimp on the top like the recipe, but Gregg's adventurous soul is always fun and we both enjoyed the end results.

He made a cocktail sauce mixture of ketchup and horseradish. It was a very nice addition and I put a small spoonful on the top of mine.

We added lemon wedges, and the lemon juice squeezed over our meal at the table added a very nice tangy and refreshing taste.

Here is the full website address for the recipe, if you prefer to copy and paste rather than use the link in the beginning.

https://cooktopcove.com/2024/07/16/delish-need-to-make-2-of-these-next-time/