Recipe found at Real Simple and changed to suit my tastes.
I love shrimp so very, very much. The only seafood I love more than shrimp is lobster, and every time I visit Maine, I eat every lobster in the state because I love it so. If I were on death row, my last meal request would be lobster and whoopie pies.
But this is about shrimp, not lobster. I like shrimp so much that every time I go to Sam’s, I buy two two-pound bags of frozen jumbo shrimp to keep on hand. When I saw this recipe on Real Simple, I knew I had to give it a try. And I liked it so much that it’s become my shrimp standby – it couldn’t possibly be any easier. (Shrimp Standby would be an excellent band name. Maybe Shrimp Standby with a Lobster Chaser.)
The ingredients:
The recipe as written calls for 1 pound of peeled and deveined medium or large shrimp. I use two pounds of peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp and just double everything else. (They come with tails still on in the bag, in the picture above I’ve thawed the shrimp and removed the tails already.) Also, garlic, salt and pepper, chicken broth, and panko bread crumbs.
Truly, the recipe is simple – preheat the oven, combine the shrimp, garlic, chicken broth (the Real Simple recipe calls for white wine, which I don’t keep on hand), and salt and pepper in a baking dish (I use a 9×13 dish). Then you add the bread crumbs to the top – and this is where I mix it up. The original recipe calls for you to mix panko bread crumbs with softened butter and then top the shrimp with it. I don’t want to use all that butter, so I do one of the following:
1. Use half the amount of butter
OR
2. Use no butter and instead spray the top of the bread crumbs with butter-flavored Pam
OR
3. Mix the bread crumbs with broth until they’re lightly moistened, and sprinkle on top of the shrimp
I opted to do #3 – mix the bread crumbs with broth – this time around, and it worked out just fine.
Shrimp and bread crumbs, headed for the oven.
The shrimp bakes for 15 – 18 minutes, which is just enough time to make angel hair pasta or rice – it’s up to you – to serve the shrimp with.
Did I mention that I love shrimp?
You can share with the cats, but that means less for you!
- 2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (I use jumbo; you could also use medium or large)
- 8 cloves garlic, sliced (I use minced)
- 4 T chicken broth
- salt and black pepper
- ½ c panko bread crumbs
- enough broth to moisten bread crumbs (see notes for additional ideas)
- Heat oven to 425º. In a baking dish, combine the shrimp, garlic, broth, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and enough broth to lightly moisten. (see notes for other options)
- Sprinkle over the shrimp and bake until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 15 - 18 minutes.