{In The Kitchen} Date Night Menu: Spicy Cajun Seafood Casserole

I found this seafood casserole recipe on Pinterest and immediately had to go get a towel to wipe off the drool that I dripped on the keyboard. Like, OMG.

I love seafood. I love all things Cajun. I knew that if I made this dish, I could go ahead and call it a wrap on this diet ’cause I WILL eat the whole pan.

So I set out to make it and I’m happy to say that it’s easier than I thought it would be. I adapted it from the recipe at the link and I think mine is just different enough that I can call it “my” recipe.

I think this would be great for date night or when you’re really trying to impress someone. Your kids *might* eat it but they probably won’t. Which is fine, because that means more for me. Greedy Mom in FULL effect!

This recipe comes together kind of quickly (about 15 minutes prep time), but I don’t know if you’d be making this on a regular ol’ Tuesday night. Maybe you will. Who knows?

Tara’s Spicy Cajun Seafood Casserole

(adapted from Cajun Delights blog) 

2 tbsps butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup each, red and green bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

2 tsps garlic, minced

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1-2 tsps Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

3 splashes Worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of onion soup

1 can cream of shrimp soup (If you can’t find cream of shrimp – I went to three stores to find it, but it ended up being at the store I thought wouldn’t have it – just use either another can of cream of onion or cream of celery.)

1/2 lb. each, fresh shrimp, crawfish tails, and crab meat (or it can be all shrimp, all crab, whatever’s cheap and in your house – do NOT cook the seafood prior to it going in the oven)

Few shakes Tabasco sauce

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup milk, plus a little more, if needed

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional, but why wouldn’t you? LOL)

Directions

Melt butter in large skillet. Saute the next 6 ingredients in the butter until soft (about 10 minutes). Add Old Bay (seafood) seasoning, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, season the (raw) seafood with Old Bay seasoning and Cajun seasoning. Set aside.

Take the skillet off heat and let the veggies cool for a couple minutes. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cooked veggies with the soups. Add in Tabasco and mix well. Fold in the rice and seafood, mixing gently. If it’s a little dry, add a splash of milk. Taste for seasoning. Add a little salt and pepper if it needs it, or some more Old Bay.  Transfer to a greased 13×9 inch baking dish and top with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees, for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

PIN IT IF YOU’D LIKE TO SAVE IT! 

It is awesome.

This dish is a little on the pricier side because of the seafood, so wait until there’s a great sale! I usually buy the “raw” shrimp versus cooked shrimp and it’s a few bucks cheaper. I also never buy crab when it’s full price (you pay almost $18 a pound!). I wait til it’s on sale and then I get it for about $9! Still expensive, but it’s a splurge I can do a couple times a year.

Try it and let me know if you like it!!