Seafood Pasta Casserole

8 ounces penne pasta

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

12 ounces medium-sized shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water plus 1 teaspoon chicken Better Than 

   Bouillon)

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 1 packet True Lemon)

¼ teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use the green can stuff)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook penne in a large pot of lightly salted water. Cook according to package, drain and set aside.

Thaw and drain the shrimp and remove the tails if necessary.

In a skillet melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Add in chicken broth and milk, adding a little bit at a time, while continuing to whisk until smooth. Add in lemon juice and pepper and stir. Add salt to taste, if desired.

Add in parmesan cheese, along with 2 tablespoons of Mozzarella cheese and continue to mix until cheese is completely melted and sauce thickens.

Add 3/4 of the shrimp and cooked pasta into the cheese sauce and mix to fully coat the pasta.

Place mixture in a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Place the remaining 1/4 of the shrimp on top, followed by sprinkling the remaining Mozzarella on top.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese melts and lightly browns. Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from BrooklynFarmerGirl.com

Melissa's Alfredo Sauce

• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese (in the green can)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Dissolve chicken bouillon cubes in 1/2 cup water.

Melt butter over low heat in saucepan.

Gradually stir in flour.

Continue stirring and gradually add milk.

Add chicken bouillon.

Increase heat to medium and continue stirring.

Cook until thickened.

Stir in parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Let the sauce sit for a few minutes so that the cheese can rehydrate and melt.

Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley.

Serve with grilled shrimp or chicken, steamed broccoli, 1 pound pasta of choice, garlic bread or biscuits.

Adapted from Food.com

Imitation Crab Casserole

• 1 (8 ounces) package imitation crab meat, Flake style preferred
• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream or mayonnaise (see note 1)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce (see note 2) 
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (may omit if using mayonnaise)
• Sprinkle of black pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced into very thin rings
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients, except Cheddar cheese, in a bowl. Press crab mixture into an 8 x 8 inch square baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, sprinkling top of the crab mixture with the shredded Cheddar cheese after 20 minutes.

Note 1: My personal preference is 1/8 cup sour cream and 1/8 cup mayonnaise.

Note 2: My personal preference is Worcestershire sauce.

Inspired by this post.

 

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was delicious! This is from a collection of recipes on Juliasalbum.com. Here is the link to the original post. I plan to check out her website soon and try more of her recipes!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound fresh shrimp (10 big shrimp or 20 small shrimp) without shells, deveined (I used a 12 oz. bag of frozen cooked shrimp and pulled the tails off)
• 3 garlic cloves (I used 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
• dried basil
• crushed red pepper flakes
• paprika
• 8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 cup half and half (I think whole milk will work too)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• cooked pasta water
• 8 oz fettuccine pasta (she suggests that gluten free pasta is delicious too) 

Heat a large skillet until hot--add 2 tablespoons olive oil and immediately add garlic and shrimp, cook on one side for about 1 minute until pink on one side, on medium-high heat. Flip the shrimp to the other side, sprinkle the top of the cooked side of shrimp with dry basil, paprika, and salt, cook for another 1-2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until shrimp is pink on both sides. Remove the shrimp from the skillet. If shrimp is a little under cooked-it’s okay because you will continue cooking it in the sauce.

To the same skillet add the sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil if necessary. Cook on high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until mushrooms become soft and release juices. Salt midway through cooking.

To the skillet with mushrooms, add cooked shrimp. Immediately add 1 cup half and half and all of the the cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts. Cover with a lid and remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Add pasta to the skillet with shrimp and mushroom cream sauce. Stir well, season with more salt and add more crushed red pepper flakes and basil, if desired.

If the cream sauce is too thick and you want it creamier, add some pasta water in small amounts until you reach the desired consistency.

Long John Silver's-Style Fish or Chicken

¾ cup flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ cup water

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Add water and stir until well combined.

Heat oil to between 360 and 375 degrees.

Dip fish or chicken in batter to coat completely.

Deep fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.

Original recipe here.