Shelly's Recipe

RED LOBSTER STUFFED SHRIMP AND STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Category: Stuffed Mushrooms

1/2 cup water
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced celery and onion
1 tbsp finely chopped red and green chili pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
Dash pepper
1/2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup cornbread crumbs (Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix is good)
1 cup lump crab meat (fresh, frozen or 1 (6 oz) can)
1 egg beaten
20 large shrimp
1/4 to 1/2 lb Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
Paprika

Preheat the oven to 375. Boil the water and 2 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan. Add the celery, onion, peppers, parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and remove from the heat.

Mix the crab meat with the beaten egg. Add to the breadcrumb mixture, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare each shrimp by cutting along the back to remove the vein and removing all of the shell except the last joint and the tip of the tail. Cut deep into the shrimp where the vein was, but not all of the way through, and spread the meat open (butterfly slice) so that each shrimp will sit in a roasting pan, cut side up, with its tail sticking up. Repeat for all of the shrimp and arrange in a baking dish.

Scoop about 1 tbsp of stuffing onto the top of the spread out portion of each shrimp. Melt the remaining tbsp of butter and brush it over the surface of each stuffed shrimp. Scoot all the shrimp close together after you do this. Spread thin slices of cheddar cheese evenly over the entire surface of all the shrimp. Sprinkle on a dash of paprika. Bake the shrimp for 15 to 20 minutes or until the shrimp are completely cooked. Broil for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to brown the cheese just slightly.

VARIATIONS: LOBSTER STUFFED MUSHROOMS - Follow the above directions for the stuffing, but substitute 1 cup cooked lobster meat for the crab meat.

CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS - Instead of shrimp, use 20 to 24 (about 1 lb) mushrooms with stems removed. Fill the mushroom caps with 2 to 3 tsp of stuffing, brush with melted butter, and top with slices of Monterey Jack cheese rather than Cheddar. Season lightly with paprika, then bake the mushrooms in a roasting pan or baking dish in a preheated oven set on 375 for about 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to slightly brown the cheese.