Although I love pasta and could do a pasta dish every week, that is probably not the best route, so I decided to try a casserole this week. It took me a while to find a casserole that was a bit different than what I was used to. I found a lot of enchilada casseroles and taco casseroles, etc. (which I will try another time), but then finally I stumbled upon a casserole on myrecipes.com for Cajun Shrimp Pasta. I love shrimp, but William is allergic to shrimp, so this is not a recipe to add to the regular rotation. I was thinking I could perhaps use it as a potluck dish or some other occassion. I was a bit concerened about this dish b/c I wasn’t sure what the consistency was supposed to be like and that it would be spicy enough for my taste, but to my amazement, it actually turned out pretty good. I was not blown away by it, but enjoyed it yesterday and have enough leftovers for a few days. I also realized I am going to have to invite my sister or some girlfriends over so I wont waste so much food! 🙂 The recipe is below for those interested.
Cajun Shrimp Casserole (courtesy of Southern Living)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 small red onion, chopped*
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper*
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper*
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper*
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of shrimp soup**
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups cooked long-grain rice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Garnishes: quartered lemon slices, fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Preparation
Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.
Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in okra, lemon juice, and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in soup and next 4 ingredients until blended. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired.
*1 (10-ounce) package frozen onions and peppers may be substituted for fresh onion and bell peppers.
**1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup may be substituted for cream of shrimp soup.
Note: Unbaked casserole may be made one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking as directed. To freeze unbaked casserole, prepare as directed, omitting Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly, and freeze. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Bake, covered, at 350° for 50 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
What’s for next week?
I have not decided yet…. which reminds me… I am getting my recipes from online websites and blogs and from Cookbooks I have (Nikki… I already have my eye on some recipes in the book you sent me). I am open to suggestions, however, so if you have a recipe you think William or I will like, please let me know. William has already been tasked with finding a recipe for me to try when he comes in February. If you live in the Dallas area… I will even invite you over!
Looks good!
It was pretty good. I ate leftovers for 2 more days, but today it was back to my old easy fav… baked chicken with Green Giant “Just for One!” veggies. Can’t go wrong with that meal. I haven’t been craving as much junk food so far this year, but my sweet tooth is still there, but I don’t really have anything in the house to solve that problem (I already ate all the mini twix bars William left in my Christmas stocking 🙂 )
By the way… for the shrimp casserole recipe…I used frozen shrimp… deveined , peeled and tail off to save some prep time. It seemed to work just fine for me.
I think that William would love any recipe from here
http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/recipes_archive.html
😉
Sorry William, I HAD to do it!
(And the “joke” we played on you for your birthday just came to mind and made me chuckle!)
On of our goals this year is to get up to Dallas when William is visiting!
Not funny…
HA!!!! I love it! I actually talked to Luke on New Year’s Day! I just laugh so hard when I see that picture! Oh what a story it tells! Good times!