Shrimp and Crab Cornbread Casserole

One summer when I was in college I worked at a Senior Citizens Center.  Seniors would come for the day, eat lunch and play games, do crafts, etc.  My boss, Mrs. Sylvia, gave me a recipe for a Mexican Cornbread Casserole.  It was made with ground beef, onions, cornmeal, cheese.  It's so yummy!  I make it often.  But, I was thinking, how could I change this recipe?  What new flavors could I add to it?  Seafood!  I decided to use shrimp and crab but you could use crawfish, too.  Here's what I came up with:

SHRIMP AND CRAB CORNBREAD CASSEROLE

1 cup cooked shrimp
1 cup crab meat
1 box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream corn
1 small onion, diced
1/2 a bell pepper, diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Cajun or Creole Seasoning

*Tip: pick through the crab meat to make sure there are no shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl combine corn muffin mix, egg, milk and cream corn.

Add onion and bell pepper.

Mix well then gently fold in shrimp and crab that as been seasoned with Creole Seasoning (I use Tony Chacherres).

Don't over mix.  You don't want to break up the seafood too much.

Butter a cast iron skillet (or a casserole dish).

Pour the batter into the buttered skillet.

Top with the shredded pepper jack cheese (as much or as little as you like).

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.

 This casserole is awesome!  It has a slight sweetness from the corn muffin mix and a great spice from the creole seasoning and the pepper jack cheese.  It's very filling too.  My daughter absolutely loved it!  I did, too.  I went back for seconds (and maybe I ate it for lunch the next day and maybe I want some more right now).  You will definitely want to make this one!
   

Simple Shrimp Etouffe

It's Lent.  That means no meat on Fridays.  I love seafood so you would think I would love this time of year.  Not so much.  My Old School Italian Husband refuses to eat seafood and my Pickiest Eater Ever Son is, well, picky.  So, most Friday nights I end up making two different meals.  This past Friday I made three!  What the hubby wanted, the son didn't like and vice versa.  Plus, I was craving Shrimp Etouffe.  But, if I was going to make three different meals I surely didn't have time to make a traditional etouffe (the roux alone takes half an hour).  So, I figured out a way to make a simple etuoffe, no roux required.

SIMPLE SHRIMP ETOUFFE

1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 stick butter or margarine
2 cups water (or broth, seafood, chicken or veggie)
1 capful Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce
Fresh parsley to garnish
Tony Chachere's (Cajun seasoning)

In a big pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Saute onion, bell pepper, celery and green onions in butter until tender (about 5 minutes).  Season to taste with Tony's.

Add water (or broth or a combo of the two) and Kitchen Bouquet. (It doesn't seem like a lot of water but seafood makes its own liquid.  Later, when you add the shrimp, it will increase the amount of liquid).

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (See how dark the Kitchen Bouquet makes it?)

Season shrimp with Tony's.  Add them to the pot.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the shrimp turn pink (about 10 minutes or so).

Garnish with fresh parsley (or more green onions).

Serve over rice.

This is quick (especially compared to the original recipe), easy and so good!  Perfect for Lent or anytime (especially when you're making three different meals!).