Shrimp Casserole

I still vividly remember the first time this casserole hit my mouth - I remember everything about that first bite. I was 9 years old. We had moved from Louisiana to Illinois about a year before and I'd been missing my Cajun food, or more specifically, my MaMaw's cooking.

My cousins and I used to tell our grandmother that she needed to open her own restaurant. She was the best cook for miles and miles around - and everyone in the community knew it. We talked about the name she'd give it - my favorite was "MaMaw's Cajun Cafe." I loved to sit in the kitchen with MaMaw while she cooked. She'd ask me to taste test all of her cooking when I was there. She claimed that smelling all the cooking made her unable to accurately tell if it needed something else - and I can attest to the validity of this fact now that I cook so much as well. I would tell her if it needed more salt, pepper, garlic, whatever. I loved doing this, and still do. And I now ask my daughters to taste test for me when I'm cooking.

My MaMaw is still a great cook, and I have been so touched by her enthusiasm to want to make gluten-free food for us when we visit her now. I've been blessed to come from an entire line of good cooks. My other grandmother was also an excellent cook and I loved her recipes. I have been given several of her cookbooks, which I use often and adapt the recipes to fit our needs. Both of my parents are great cooks, as are all of my aunts. I'm a pretty lucky girl!

When MaMaw made this casserole for us in Illinois, it was the first time I'd ever tried it. It was a new dish for me - I'd been used to her crawfish bisque, etouffee, jambalaya and so much more. (She is an excellent baker, as well.) Shrimp casserole? Oh. My. Yum. That first bite was amazing. The garlic, onions and mushrooms combined with shrimp and rice in a perfect, creamy bite? *Sigh* The shrimp was curled just right, had the right color pink. The crispy, baked top of the casserole with such tender morsels beneath it? I couldn't get enough. The one thing I don't remember about eating the casserole that day was how many servings I had. I know it was a lot.

Of course shrimp casserole was one of the recipes I had to convert free of gluten. The problem was figuring out the perfect ingredients to replace condensed cream of mushroom soup and condensed cheddar cheese soup.

It's a great casserole to make ahead and freeze for later. It also makes a great dip (without the rice) as I explain below. Just because it's a casserole, though, doesn't mean it's an everyday-plain meal. It's company-special and many friends can attest to that fact. They'll want the recipe, too.

The downside of this recipe post is lack of a great photo to do the casserole justice. When I was making this recently, the lighting was terrible. I was already later than anticipated getting dinner on the table due to distractions from children, and had no time to garnish the top and put it on a pretty plate. Also, it was dark outside and the lighting inside isn't so great for food photography. Next time I make it, I plan to correct this and post a photo worthy of the recipe. I hope you'll try it anyway!

Projected prep time: 45 minutes; Projected bake time: 30-40 minutes
1/4 c. unsalted butter
4 green onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (I use a garlic press)
1 medium white onion, diced
1 c. diced fresh mushrooms
1 c. shredded Colby-Jack cheese
3/4 c. milk
1 oz. cream cheese
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (may want more as needed)
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. salt, then more to taste if needed
Watkins Cream Soup & Gravy base mix (or 1 1/2 c. prepared of another cream soup base )
2 lbs. cleaned shrimp, cocktail to medium size
3 c. cooked rice
2 slices Udi's bread (heel end is fine)

Saute onions and bell pepper in a skillet with the butter over a low-medium heat until the onions are wilted.

While these are cooking, dice your mushrooms and prepare your cream soup base. I like to use the Watkins Cream soup & gravy base and prepare it the thickest gravy base recipe provided on the container, but I half the recipe. You want about 1 1/2 cups of prepared, thick (basically like condensed) cream soup. If you don't have the Watkins mix, you can use another cream soup base recipe. The Watkins cream, chicken and beef soup/gravy bases are gluten-free. Other flavors are not.

Stir the diced mushrooms into the cream soup and set aside.

Now prepare your cheese "soup." Combine milk, cream cheese and shredded Colby-Jack in a saucepan.

Heat, stirring often, until the cheeses are melted and everything is incorporated. Set aside.

When the onions and bell pepper are finished cooking, add the minced garlic and cook for two or three minutes.

Add the mushroom soup, cheese mixture, shrimp, salt and peppers into the pan with the onion mixture and heat thoroughly on low heat for about 15 minutes. I usually use pre-cooked, frozen (and then thawed before use) cocktail shrimp or medium shrimp for this. I prefer to buy them that way unless I get them fresh or I trust they've been frozen from fresh.

While this is cooking, cube or tear your bread into small pieces and microwave on high for a little while. I usually stick them in there for about 30 seconds, stir a little and put in for a few seconds longer. The goal is to get them tough and a little dried out.

Continuing on with the casserole, when the shrimp mixture has finished cooking, stir in the rice and season again to taste if needed. Stir in the bread crumbs.

*Note: After the shrimp is thoroughly cooked and the mixture has been properly seasoned, if you stop there it makes an excellent hot dip. Mmmmm!

Pour into a greased 13x9 casserole pan, or two smaller ones if you plan on eating one now and want one for later. You can freeze it at this point before baking it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

If you want to dress it up more, you can garnish each serving with a strip of pimento, a sprig of parsley and a cooked shrimp.

If you want to save time in making this, you can chop the veggies beforehand and make the soups ahead of time as well, refrigerating all until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Easy copy recipe format for your personal use:

Gluten-Free Shrimp Casserole

This is my grandmother's shrimp casserole recipe, converted to be gluten-free. Source: Mama Me Gluten Free

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  
• 4 green onions, chopped
  
• 1 bell pepper, diced
  
• 3 cloves garlic, mined or pressed
  
• 1 medium white onion, diced
  
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
  
• 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
  
• 3/4 cup milk
  
• 1 oz.cream cheese
  
• 1/8 tsp.cayenne pepper
  
• to taste, Black pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp.salt
  
• 1 1/2 prepared cups Cream soup & gravy base mix (I use Watkins)
  
• 2 pounds shrimp, cleaned
  
• 3 cups rice, cooked
  
• 2 slices Udi's bread (heel is fine)
  

Cooking Directions

1. Saute onions and bell pepper in a skillet with the butter over a low-medium heat until the onions are wilted.
   
2. While these are cooking, dice your mushrooms and prepare your cream soup base. I like to use the Watkins Cream soup & gravy base and prepare it the thickest gravy base recipe provided on the container, but I half the recipe. You want about 1 1/2 cups of prepared, thick (basically like condensed) cream soup. If you don't have the Watkins mix, you can use another cream soup base recipe. The Watkins cream, chicken and beef soup/gravy bases are gluten-free. Other flavors are not.
3. Stir the diced mushrooms into the cream soup and set aside.
4. Now prepare your cheese "soup." Combine milk, cream cheese and shredded Colby-Jack in a saucepan.
5. Heat, stirring often, until the cheeses are melted and everything is incorporated. Set aside.
6. When the onions and bell pepper are finished cooking, add the minced garlic and cook for two or three minutes.
7. Add the mushroom soup, cheese mixture, shrimp, salt and peppers into the pan with the onion mixture and heat thoroughly on low heat for about 15 minutes. I usually use pre-cooked, frozen (and then thawed before use) cocktail shrimp or medium shrimp for this. I prefer to buy them that way unless I get them fresh or I trust they've been frozen from fresh.
8. While this is cooking, cube or tear your bread into small pieces and microwave on high for a little while. I usually stick them in there for about 30 seconds, stir a little and put in for a few seconds longer. The goal is to get them tough and a little dried out.
9. *Note: After the shrimp is thoroughly cooked and the mixture has been properly seasoned, if you stop there it makes an excellent hot dip. Mmmmm!
10. Continuing on with the casserole, when the shrimp mixture has finished cooking, stir in the rice and season again to taste if needed. Stir in the bread crumbs.
11. Pour into a greased 13x9 casserole pan, or two smaller ones if you plan on eating one now and want one for later. You can freeze it at this point before baking it.
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
13. If you want to save time in making this, you can chop the veggies beforehand and make the soups ahead of time as well, refrigerating all until ready to use.