Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Stuffed Cocktail Party Shrimp

Been MIA planning the ultimate 6 year old's SpongeBob Bikini Bottom Birthday pool party (say that 5 times) but it's a fun busy. I can't wait to share with you all the party details because once the party is over I am going to be giving away all the theme decorations, purchased & crafted, for someone who intends to have their own SpongeBob party.

Family is also in town so this weekend we'll be hanging out riverside in a rented cabana with a tiki bar just 20 feet away, kayaking & canoeing & just having fun. Wish me luck as this will be Tristan's 1st time in a kayak. While he'll be in one with me it's always an adventure trying something new.

And speaking of trying new things, I made these shrimp last weekend while the visiting fam was hanging out poolside. I really loved them. They were easy to prepare & I loved how the tail curled over the stuffing as the shrimp baked, making for a perfect little handle. I modified this recipe to be healthier so please see notes below. I was rushing to get back in the pool & never took a pic but these are exactly how they looked.

{Courtesy of Google}

32 jumbo shrimp (about 2-1/2 pounds), peeled & deveined *
2 sticks (8 ounces) salted butter, melted *
One 1-pound loaf white sandwich bread
2 tsp hot sauce (eyeball it)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tblsp chopped fresh thyme (about 6 sprigs) *
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. Split the shrimp by cutting them lengthwise down the back, stopping just short of cutting them in half. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels & using a pastry brush, brush them with one-quarter of the melted butter.

In a food processor, pulse the bread into crumbs & transfer to a small bowl. Mix the remaining melted butter with the hot sauce, garlic & thyme. Pour the butter sauce over the bread crumbs, stir to combine & season to taste with salt & pepper.

Place the shrimp, cut side down, on a large, sturdy baking sheet & top with a generous tablespoonful of the bread-crumb stuffing. (The tails will curl up over the stuffing during baking.) Bake in the center of the oven until the shrimp are cooked through & pink in color & the
stuffing is lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

{The shrimp before being put in the oven}

{Food for Thought}

There was no way I was using 2 sticks of butter so I didn't brush the shrimp with butter at all. I only used a total of 1/2 stick of butter to mix in with the breadcrumbs. Then I used a little olive oil to make the breadcrumb mixture come together better. I also brushed my baking pan with olive oil as well. I used dried thyme instead of fresh which was just fine. And I substituted a little whole wheat bread into the mixture. Any stuffing, such as crabmeat, would be great for this recipe as well.

As for the shrimp, my supposed jumbo were more like medium sized shrimp so I only used about a tsp or 2 of the stuffing & lightly patted it down on the top of the shrimp, then baked for only 10 minutes, then turned the broiler on for about 1 minute in order to get the breading toasty. This was perfect.



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29 comments:

starnes family said...

Happy weekend to you, too!

Life, Love And Lola said...

Anything with shrimp gets a thumbs up here! Have a wonderful weekend!!

FROGGITY! said...

have a wonderful weekend!!!

send me some shrimp, they look TASTY!

Kristina P. said...

I LOVE shrimp. These are like a dream come true!

Kacey said...

I can't wait to see it all of the party fabulousness come together! I'm on pins and needles! Seriously! :D have fun with the fam & enjoy your weekend girlfriend!

Woman Interrupted said...

I have to admit, I raised an eyebrow when I read 2 sticks of butter. (Not that the restaurant version would be healthier.)

Here's the link to my Butt Burner recipe. Feel free to use and abuse it:

http://womaninterrupt.blogspot.com/2008/11/butt-burners-eating-them-is-only-half.html

Tami (Pixeltrash) said...

Yum! They look awesome and I like that you made them lower in fat.

I had a Spongebob party two years ago. It was super fun. My fav. thing that I did... made Plankton from Twinkies covered with Fondant.
I don't think I ever blogged that party... before I started blogging!

Tam said...

They look so delish! OOO yeah I bet Crabmeat would be great with this tooo. YUM

Reeni said...

These shrimp look awesome!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Lula! said...

Fantabulous...
I want these and the bacon-wrapped dates, please!

My husband just said, "Red Lobster is having their ultimate shrimp feast going on now..." I replied, "No, I want Steph's stuffed shrimp, please." I could eat shrimp on shrimp. Yep.

Have a GREAT labor day, my friend!

Jennifer said...

Stuffed shrimp cocktail--too die for and I hope to see Spongebob photos. By the way, I am also running the $10 stop & shop gift card giveaway on my site.

Anonymous said...

oh they look AWESOME! I think with crabmeat would be a terrific idea too! Perfect, indeed!

Jason, as himself said...

Once again, you're making me reconsider my fishvorce.

Kerstin said...

Your shrimp could be served in a restaurant, they look SO good!

Good luck with your party planning!

Leica said...

This looks great. I made something similar with crab stuffing.

Simple Daisy said...

Glad to hear all is going well with the Spongebob party!! Have a great weekend!

Karine said...

This recipe looks delicious! Thanks for sharing it!

MadeInCanarias said...

That looks so delicious!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

WOW! THis looks amazing!! :D

Pam said...

Yum! They look amazing. I am so glad you didn't use two sticks of butter - UGH.

Anonymous said...

just popping over from SITS, love the blog!!

www.anniebakes.blogspot.com

Stephanie Faris said...

Yummmmmmmm. I'm printing this one out!

Michelle said...

I never have the patients to stuff anything. :)

Unknown said...

I can not wait to hear all the party details! I know it is going to be so exciting. I was thinking about you this morning as I saw a kindergartener getting on the bus : ) So sweet!

pigpigscorner said...

They sound like little balls of goodness!

kimert said...

Stopping by from SITS! Man those look delish!

Angela said...

These look great too Steph! I love shrimp but don't make them often. This looks great for football afternoons so I'll put it on my list!

wanto said...

Yummy, try this food.

seafood supplier said...

Delicious food and great photo.