Baked Stuffed Shrimp Casserole Recipe

We didn’t eat seafood all that much growing up — maybe because my father didn’t love it — but we always had baked stuffed shrimp on Christmas Eve, and that inspired this recipe. My mom made it with Ritz crackers and lots of butter, and my mouth waters just thinking about it … I’m sure the excitement of opening presents after dinner aided in the enjoyment, but we just loved it. I suggest making this for any evening that you want to serve something special. It can easily be doubled for a dinner party or larger crowd. It tastes like a bit of a celebration to me.

AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled with tails left intact, and deveined
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 pound lump crab meat
• 1 cup plain gluten-free cracker crumbs (such as Simple Mills)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Rodale Books/Penguin Random House

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting down the back of the spine most of the way through, but not all the way. Add them to a medium bowl with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Toss and set aside. In a large bowl, make your stuffing by combining the crab meat, cracker crumbs, garlic, parsley, lemon zest and juice, melted butter, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. In a 2-quart or an 11-by-17-inch oven-safe baking dish, arrange the seasoned shrimp evenly, cut-side down, so the tails are facing up. Spoon the stuffing over and around the shrimp evenly. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the shrimp is just cooked through and the top of the stuffing is golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad.

From BIG BITES: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun by Kat Ashmore. Copyright 2024 by Kat Ashmore. Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.