Seafood is rarely thought of as a freezer meal. We tend to think of it as something that must be consumed the moment it is cooked. However, this Creole dish is robust enough to stand up to cold storage. The sauce is thick and rich, built on a foundation of tomatoes, green peppers, and onions—the “holy trinity” of Southern cooking.
The heat here is complex. It comes from black pepper, lemon-pepper, and a dash of red pepper, all mellowed by the sweetness of the tomatoes. It is a warming dish, perfect for days when you need something lighter than red meat but just as satisfying.
This recipe is unique because it prepares enough shrimp for two different purposes. You boil two pounds, but only half goes into the stew. The rest is yours to keep for a shrimp salad or a cold cocktail the next day. It is efficient cooking at its finest.
The Recipe
Yields: 4 servings | Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 2 pounds unpeeled fresh medium shrimp
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Dash of red pepper
- 2 cups hot cooked rice (cooked without salt or fat)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Shrimp Bring the water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they turn pink and firm. Drain well and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel and devein the shrimp. Note: Set aside 1 pound of the cooked shrimp for this recipe. Reserve the remaining 1 pound for another use (such as shrimp salad or cocktails).
2. Build the Base In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion and green pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
3. Simmer the Sauce Add the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt, lemon-pepper seasoning, black pepper, and the dash of red pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The sauce will become thick and fragrant.
4. Combine and Portion Remove the skillet from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the 1 pound of reserved cooked shrimp. To freeze, spoon 1 cup of the Shrimp Creole and 1/2 cup of cooked rice into 4 sealable, microwave-safe containers.
5. Reheat To serve, thaw if desired, then microwave until steaming hot. The rice will absorb some of the tomato sauce, making it even more flavorful.
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Make-Ahead Shrimp Creole
This Make-Ahead Shrimp Creole proves that seafood can be a reliable freezer meal. The thick, rich sauce is built on the holy trinity of onions and green peppers, flavored with lemon-pepper and Worcestershire. It is robust enough to freeze and reheat perfectly. An ad-free Southern recipe from Willowgold Farms.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the Shrimp
-
Bring the water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they turn pink and firm. Drain well and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel and devein the shrimp. Note: Set aside 1 pound of the cooked shrimp for this recipe. Reserve the remaining 1 pound for another use (such as shrimp salad or cocktails).
Build the Base
-
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion and green pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
Simmer the Sauce
-
Add the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt, lemon-pepper seasoning, black pepper, and the dash of red pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The sauce will become thick and fragrant.
Combine and Portion
-
Remove the skillet from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the 1 pound of reserved cooked shrimp. To freeze, spoon 1 cup of the Shrimp Creole and 1/2 cup of cooked rice into 4 sealable, microwave-safe containers.
Reheat
-
To serve, thaw if desired, then microwave until steaming hot. The rice will absorb some of the tomato sauce, making it even more flavorful.
