Shrimp and Rice Casserole Bake

There's something about the combination of seafood and cheese that just weirds people out. I'm not sure why. I feel like cheese makes everything better, so I imagine it only makes seafood better too. No? When I told Chris I made this for dinner, he quickly told me he was in the mood for Chik-fil-A. I got the hint. So I covered it and put in in the fridge. 

The following day he came home for lunch and--SURPRISE--I baked up this casserole for us to eat. He was still weirded out, but gave it a shot. I think we were both surprised at how good it was. The cheese just makes the rice creamy and rich. There is a ton of added flavor from the onions, peppers and cream of chicken soup. The shrimp simply add some texture and some protein. Make sure you try the mixture before baking it. I had to add a fair amount of salt to get the flavors to where I wanted them to be, but it just made the dish much more flavorful. This is a yummy and comforting dish that the whole household will like. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice
• 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup frozen chopped green peppers and onions
• 1 (10 3/4 oz. can) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions. Turn off burner and set aside.

Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tbsp. salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside.

Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Source: Adapted from Food Network