Louisiana Seafood Casserole

LOUISIANA CRAWFISH (OR SHRIMP) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In heavy pot saute diced onions, celery and bell pepper in butter for about 10 minutes.
• 2. Stir in soup and minced garlic and remove from heat. Add crawfish, (or shrimp), rice, green onions, parsley and liquid crab boil and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• 3. Pour mixture in a buttered casserole dish. For breadcrumb topping, mix melted butter and breadcrumbs together until all butter is absorbed. Lightly sprinkle over seafood mixture, not too heavy. If not using breadcrumbs, top with grated cheese of your choice if desired.
• 4. Bake for 30 minutes. If casserole has been refrigerated, bake for 50 minutes. If frozen back for 1 hour 15 minutes covered with foil and remove foil the last 30 minutes. When cheese is nice and golden and casserole is hot and bubbly then it's done. Freezes well. Recipe can be doubled. Cream of Shrimp is mild and very good in this casserole. Cream of mushroom or celery is a little stronger but still has a good flavor. If you like mushrooms or rotel or diced tomatoes, feel free to add them.

LOUISIANA SHRIMP CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven broiler. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place rice and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place shrimp in the skillet and cook 3 minutes, or until opaque; set aside. Melt butter in the skillet. Stir in the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Mix in soup and sour cream. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Return shrimp to skillet and cook until heated through. Scoop skillet mixture over rice in baking dish and top with cheese.
• Broil 5 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly.