Instead of more traditional ground beef lasagna, try this shrimp and crabmeat casserole from Better Homes & Garden. Pair it with a side salad for a satisfying and vegetable-rich dinner.
With the cost of fresh lump carb meat sky-high, refrigerated pasteurized lump crabmeat is an excellent choice over the traditional canned crabmeat or more expensive fresh crab. Look for it at the meat and seafood counter of your supermarket.
When it comes to the rice, measure out 3 cups AFTER it is cooked. The Hubs had an off-moment and cooked too much rice and we used all of it. Although it did not alter the flavor of the dish, it did make it a bit too rice-forward. If you do have extra rice, save it for another meal.
Purchasing a 1-pound bag of frozen salad shrimp made prepping a lot easier because they didn’t need to be peeled and deveined; plus the small size was perfect in the casserole. This is an ideal dish when hosting/attending a potluck lunch or dinner, just make sure to keep it warm until serving time.
Baked Cajun Seafood and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. butter, divided
- ½ tsp. dried thyme, crushed
- 3 cup cooked long grain white rice, (1 cup uncooked)
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 8 cups fresh baby kale or spinach, stems removed
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning
- 2 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)
- 16 oz. cooked crabmeat, flaked
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)
- ½ cup chopped green onions (4)
Directions
- Make rice according to package directions.
- Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet cook the green pepper, onion, celery, and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot butter over medium heat about 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in thyme; cook and stir for 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cooked rice; stir to combine. Set aside.
- In the same skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add the kale; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until wilted and tender. Remove from heat. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and Cajun seasoning; cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in milk; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Reduce heat to low. Add Monterey Jack cheese; stir until cheese melts.
- Lightly grease a 4-quart rectangular baking dish. Spread half of the rice mixture over bottom of dish. Layer with half of the kale mixture, half of the shrimp, half of the crabmeat, and half of the cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly and lightly golden. Sprinkle with green onions.
Roughly adapted from a recipe for Better Homes & Garden
Accounting for Taste 