Seafood casserole

[bluemouse]

2 1/2 pounds large fresh shrimp
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
8 oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms
2/3 c. flour
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. ground red pepper
10 3/4 oz. can cream of shrimp soup
2 c. milk
1 lb. fresh lump crabmeat, drained
8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained (I leave these out)

1/4 butter, melted
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Peel shrimp and devein if desired, set aside.
Melt 1/2 c. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green pepper, onion, celery and mushrooms; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour; cook one minute. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients. Whisk in soup and milk until smooth; cook one minute or until thickened.
Combine shimp, crabmeat and water chestnuts in a large bowl. Pour sauce over seafood; stir well. Pour seafood mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish.
Combine 1/4 c. butter, bread crumbs and cheese in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubby. Makes 8-10 servings.

[TandB]

Thanks Mouse!

[DorothyB]

Sounds good! I LOVE shrimp and I LOVE mushrooms.

I'm not a "cook", so I have questions:

1) where do I find "fresh lump crabmeat"?

2) did you make your breadcrumbs? How?? Is wheat or wholegrain bread OK?

3) the breadcrumbs on top don't seem like enough starch for a meal? What did you serve with it (if anything)?

Thanks!!

[TandB]

you can find crabmeat in the meat section of the store. You can also find it in the vacuum package in the tuna section.

Take older bread cut it up. put it in the oven (not on) and let them dry. Overnight usually works.

You could serve rice with it. It makes a nice complement to the seafood. You probably use pasta too.

[bluemouse]

Yes, it goes great over rice, especially basmati.
I used imitation crabmeat (the horrors!) and it's over by the chicken and fish.
For bread, I just crumbled some wheat bread - use whatever variety you have (because white bread is not a REAL bread anyway ). You can dry it like TandB suggested, but I just crumbled it up, mixed the cheese with it and sprinkled it over the casserole. It will dry in the oven as it cooks with the cheese.
If you don't want to use rice, you could do garlic toast - I get French bread from the store, slice it somewhat thick and spread with butter. Sprinkle a little garlic powder on it and pop it in the oven until it's golden and toasty. Fast and easy.

[Newfygirl]

I buy breadcrubs in a cardboard can. Yeah, its cheating, but its easy!

[DorothyB]

Still sounds yummy! I don't know if my parents are heading here tomorrow or heading home. I might make this next weekend.

[Sheryl]

That sounds great! I have never seen cream of shrimp soup though... any ideas for a substitute?

[DorothyB]

Hmmm - I think I'd go with cream of mushroom if I couldn't find cream of shrimp. Since there are mushrooms in it, that would probably work.

[bluemouse]

I agree w/Dorothy - cr. of mushroom would make the most sense. My podunk Wal-Mart had cr. of shrimp soup, though - you might get lucky.