Description
This Savory Stuffed Seafood Bread Bowl recipe features a delightful blend of shrimp and crab meat mixed with creamy cheeses and seasonings, all enveloped in a hollowed sourdough bread bowl. Baked until golden and bubbling, it makes for a comforting and impressive seafood dish perfect for a special lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- 1/2 pound lump crab meat, drained and checked for shells
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Bread Bowls
- 4 sourdough bread bowls (small round loaves with tops cut and insides hollowed)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the filled bread bowls.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped onion, sautéing them until translucent and fragrant, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Cook Seafood: Add the chopped shrimp to the skillet and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir in the lump crab meat and cook for an additional 1 minute before removing the skillet from heat.
- Prepare Creamy Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, mixing until the texture is smooth and creamy without lumps.
- Season and Combine: Add Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper into the creamy mixture. Stir well to blend all the flavors together.
- Mix Seafood and Creamy Blend: Gently fold the sautéed seafood mixture into the creamy cheese blend, ensuring an even distribution without breaking up the seafood too much.
- Fill Bread Bowls: Generously spoon the seafood mixture into each hollowed sourdough bread bowl, filling them completely.
- Bake: Place the filled bread bowls on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbly and heated through.
- Serve: Garnish with extra chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately while the bread bowl is warm and the filling is melty and delicious.
Notes
- To prevent sogginess, ensure bread bowls are well hollowed but keep enough crust to hold the filling firmly.
- If you prefer a spicier kick, increase the cayenne pepper slightly or add a dash of hot sauce to the filling.
- This dish can be prepared a few hours ahead; assemble the bowls, refrigerate, and bake just before serving.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute sourdough bread bowls with gluten-free bread bowls or thick gluten-free bread slices hollowed similarly.
- Leftover filling can be used as a dip with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
