Blend of the Bayou

Name: Blend of the Bayou
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings.
Ingredients: 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed; 4 tablespoons butter, divided; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 1 large green pepper, chopped; 1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 cans (6 ounces each) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed; 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted; 3/4 cup cooked rice; 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained; 1 teaspoon garlic salt; 3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 12 crackers)

My sister-in-law shared this recipe when I first moved to Louisiana. It's been handed down in my husband's family for generations. It's quick to prepare, nutritious and beautiful. I've passed it on to my children, too.—Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, Louisiana

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cans (6 ounces each) crabmeat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup cooked rice
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 12 crackers)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, cook and stir cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted and smooth.
In a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, saute onion, celery and green pepper in remaining butter until tender. Stir in shrimp, crab, soup, rice, mushrooms, garlic salt, pepper sauce, cayenne and cream cheese mixture.
Combine cheddar cheese and cracker crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 366 calories, 23g fat (13g saturated fat), 164mg cholesterol, 981mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 23g protein.

Originally published as Blend of the Bayou in Casserole Cookbook

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Nolan1006

Mar 23, 2014

I use 2 lbs of salad shrimp and leave out the crab. I use crab or lobster bisque instead of cream of mushroom and am generous with the hot sauce. My family loves the slightly modified version.
mickeymotto

Feb 23, 2014

This recipe which is ACTUALLY from the cook book collection of recipes gathered from the Lake Charles Junior League of Louisiana members for many years. Some of Louisiana's best! We have been making this for decades and have tweeked the recipe to our tastes. We believe it enhances the original recipe if you are looking for a splurge of flavor and are not concerned with the additional expense. Our modifications to the original recipe are as follows:~ Use dehydrated mushrooms instead of canned~ Add 1 tsp of dried chives~ Add 3/4 lb of diced scallops~ Substitute crackers for Cheese-it Crackers* My son likes his extra spicy, so he even adds some sriracha to kick it up another notch!
cccosey

Feb 7, 2011

If you like seafood you will like this one. It was very easy to make and has lots of spice.
Sugarsugar

Feb 1, 2011

Recipe calls for the entire container of cream cheese, if make again will only add 1/2 b/c just tasted entirely like cream cheese & was bland so had to add a LOT of hot sauce, also will try using imitation crab & will leave out the canned mushrooms-didn't need to be there since didn't add anything to the taste
aprilshowalter

Jan 24, 2011

This was pretty tasty, but not worth the price to make. I'd rather use my crab in crab cakes and my shrimp in Thai Shrimp and Noodles (an amazing Taste of Home recipe... Look it up!).
micharm

Jan 12, 2011

This is a delicous dish! Creamy and comforting on a winter night. I am not a fan of crab and substitued imitation crab which is also a lot less expensive. Also, I added a bit more rice.
julieyoung

Dec 20, 2010

This was a great recipe! Seafood market didn't have crabmeat, so I substituted scallops. Also added andouille sausage. It was the best new recipe I've tried lately. Thanks!
Hannah0418

Dec 28, 2009

it was good - but not worth the expense to make. the crab is expensive but you can't even taste it. i'd recommend skipping the crab and adding more shrimp.
hgergen

Feb 25, 2009

Not worth the expense to make.
Skn

Jan 7, 2009

I made the casserole for Christmas. Could I use imitation crab. We are land locked and some of the canned crab was over $4 for a 6 oz can and $7 for shrimp it gets a bit pricy.