I started making this recipe years ago after Paula Deen shared it on Food Network. It's one of my favorite special occasion recipes, especially when I'm serving guests (if they like seafood).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook green onions, green pepper and garlic until peppers are softened. Place in a mixing bowl and stir in half and half, mustard and cayenne pepper to sauteed vegetables, mix well.
Add cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, parsley and lemon juice; mix well. Gently fold in crabmeat. Form into small patties sized to stuff into shrimp; set aside.
Split shrimp down the bottom center to tail, being careful not to cut through. Carefully press open butterflied shrimp by inverting it and pressing gently. Place on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Stuff each shrimp with crabmeat mixture. I use a small cookie scoop to measure and help form the stuffing.
Wrap shrimp in bacon and place seam side down onto baking sheet. Place on a baking pan and cook
Bake at 350 degrees until bacon is crisp and shrimp are pink, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with steamed rice and basil cream sauce, if desired.
Bacon Wrapped Crab Cake Stuffed Shrimp with a Creamy Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- Stuffed Shrimp:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 green onions (finely chopped)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 T half and half
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Dash cayenne pepper
- ½ cup saltine cracker crumbs
- 2 T Mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 pound crabmeat (picked over)
- 24 jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails on)
- 12 slices bacon
- steamed white rice (for serving)
- Basil Cream Sauce:
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ½ cup diced onions
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon chicken base
- 3 T Prepared Pesto (used: Bertolli)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
Instructions
- Stuffed Shrimp:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook onions, green pepper and garlic until peppers are limp.
- Place in mixing bowl and add half and half, mustard and cayenne pepper to sauteed vegetables, mix well.
- Add cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, parsley and lemon juice; mix well.
- Gently fold in crab meat.
- Form into small patties sized to stuff into shrimp; set aside.
- Split shrimp down the bottom center to tail, being careful not to cut through.
- Stuff each shrimp with crab meat mixture.
- Wrap shrimp in bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Place on a baking pan and cook at 350 degrees until bacon is crisp and shrimp are pink, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- To serve, arrange 4 shrimp on each plate on a bed of rice, if desired.
- Drizzle with Basil Cream Sauce.
- Creamy Pesto Sauce:
- Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes; add garlic and sauté lightly.
- Add white wine and reduce by half.
- Add half and half and chicken base and reduce by half again.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon flour.
- Mash with a fork or fingers until a paste forms (this will be your “roux”).
- Add pesto and roux; bring to a simmer and heat until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Notes
Adapted from Paula Deen
Melissa says
Wow!!! I have to try this ASAP, Jennifer.
Jennifer says
Melissa these are so good! You can stuff and wrap the shrimp, freeze them on a cookie sheet, pop them into a freezer bag and keep them frozen to use anytime!