Baked Stuffed Shrimp

Right now seafood is very expensive in our area. However when it gets back to a reasonable cost, I am yearning to make my baked stuffed shrimp.

I realize that shrimp is not in everyone's budget. We do not have it often ourselves and it's one of those things that we "splurge" on for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries where we celebrate here at home.
Back when I had my food to go restaurant here in my home town, I served up my Baked Stuffed Shrimp along with a Prime Rib Dinner for a surf and turf Friday night food to go. Aside from our weekly complete Turkey Dinner served on Thursdays, the Prime Rib or the surf and turf dinners were popular for the Friday night dinner. I got lucky and a food writer for the Hartford Courant came in on one of those Fridays and I ended up with a really nice review!

Baked stuffed shrimp is a luxury dinner in my eyes and serving it with some drawn butter, a side of rice or baked potato and a nice garden salad makes for a wonderful and special dinner.

• 6 U-15 Shrimp
• 1 can (6 oz.) of baby whole shrimp and/or lump crab meat
• 1/2 stick butter - melted
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers - crushed
• 1/2 cup onion - small dice
• 1/2 cup - to 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (Use left over baguette or Italian bread)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• cooking spray

1. Wash and de-vein your shrimp, leaving the shell on. 
2. In a skillet, melt the 1/2 stick butter over medium heat. Add in the onions, turn down to medium low and cook until the onions have softened. Remove from the heat and let this cool down.
3. Process the crackers and  fresh bread crumbs ahead and put each in a SEPARATE bowl.
4. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp and/or lump crab meat, the spices, Parmesan cheese. Add in the onion butter mixture and then add in enough of the crackers and fresh bread crumbs as needed to fill the six shrimp. Mix well.
5. Stuff each shrimp liberally and press the stuffing onto the shrimp - cover all areas of the shrimp as it helps to keep the moisture in. Place the shrimp on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven covered for about 10-15 minutes until you "smell the shrimp". Uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
7. The internal temperature of shrimp should be 145 degrees. After you uncover the shrimp, check the temperature to gauge cooking time.

Another way to do this and make it less expensive is to purchase smaller shrimp like a 20-30 count per pound, peel them and mix them in with the rest of the ingredients. Then you could put the mixture into either clam shells or even a fanned oyster shell they sell for baking if you have those. If not, use a muffin tin.

This picture is from another shrimp dish I made and stuffed it in clam shells. The recipe was Baked Shrimp Imperial.