Baked Stuffed Shrimp

I am so excited to share today’s recipe with you.  Not only is it one of my favorite recipes in the world, but it’s also one that my mom made up completely on her own.  We’ve had these baked stuffed shrimp for Christmas, New Year’s, my birthday – basically any holiday where I get to choose the main dish.  When I asked my mom for this recipe a couple of weeks ago so that Mike and I could make it for one of our Sunday feasts, she literally sent me a list of ingredients with very approximate measurements (“a handful,” “some,” and “however much you want”).  I’d have to say, ours turned out very well, and I can’t wait to make ours for my mom when she comes to visit next month!

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds of large, raw shrimp

1 stick of butter

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers (crushed)

¼ cup imitation crab (diced)

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       In a medium pot, melt the butter on medium heat.

3.       Peel, vein, and butterfly 1 pound of the shrimp, leaving just the tails on.

4.       Peel, vein, and dice ¼ pound of the shrimp. 

5.       Add the diced shrimp and crushed Ritz crackers to the melted butter on the stove.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until shrimp starts to turn pink.

6.       Remove the stuffing from the heat and add in the diced imitation crab.

7.       Arrange butterflied shrimp on a greased sheet pan, and scoop about 1 tablespoon of stuffing onto each of the butterflied shrimp.

8.       Bake for 15 minutes, until shrimp are pink.

It took me about 15 minutes to peel and vein the shrimp and 45 minutes from the start to the end of cooking. 

Linking up for all of my favorite Tuesday food link-ups (Tuesday's Recipe Swap, Two Cup Tuesday, Try A New Recipe Tuesday, Delicious Dish Tuesday, and Tasty Tuesdays)!