Crab-worthy casseroles

Basketball has consumed the boys in our house, to the point where our daughter finally broke down and said she was sick of it and could not do any more basketball. As for me, I am enjoying my favorite time of the year: baseball. I love listening to all of the St. Louis Cardinals games, maybe even to the point where my co-worker has finally come to the point our daughter was with basketball. So, as for me I say "play ball" and let the games begin.

When Stephanie Skaggs-Kunefke of Cape Girardeau requested recipes for crab casserole, I never dreamed so many would come in. I received 16 recipes, and all are a little different from each other. In the interest of space, I cannot pass all of them along to you, but will share as many as I can. I hope you enjoy trying some of these recipes, I know I sure will.

Imitation Crabmeat Casserole

1 pound crabmeat

8 ounces sour cream

1 small can mushrooms

1 stick butter

1 stack Ritz or Town House crackers

Salt, pepper, garlic, salt, parsley

Place fish in an 8-inch square pan. Melt butter, add sour cream and stir well. Add seasonings and stir again. Pour over fish. Roll the crackers to make fine crumbs and place over fish and sour cream mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Paula Deen's Best Crab Casserole

1 (6 1/2-ounce) can crabmeat, drained

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup soft bread crumbs, plus 1/2 cup buttered soft bread crumbs

3/4 cup half-and-half

6 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup sliced stuffed green olives, plus slices for garnish

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

3/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch pepper

Olive slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, break the crabmeat in chunks. Add the mayonnaise, 1 cup soft bread crumbs, half-and-half, eggs, onion, olives, parsley, salt and pepper, and fold together. Divide the mixture among greased individual ramekins or spoon it into a 1-quart casserole dish. Top with the buttered crumbs and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with olive slices.

Crabmeat Casserole

1 pound crabmeat, or imitation salad-style crab

1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup half and half

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons sherry

Topping:

2 tablespoons crushed cereal crumbs

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Halve drained artichokes and place in bottom of greased 2-quart casserole or 9-inch square pan. SautZ mushrooms in butter and season with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms on top of artichokes and cover with flaked or torn crab pieces. Make white sauce by melting butter (4 tablespoons) adding flour and stirring until smooth. Add half and half, milk and salt and cook, stirring, over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add sherry. Pour sauce over crabmeat and cover with combined cereal and cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Seafood Casserole

This casserole is made with fish fillets, crab or shrimp, and scallops, along with cheese and sour cream. Serve this casserole with hot cooked rice.

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (3 to 4 fillets), cut into large chunks (roughy, haddock, etc.)

1 cup crabmeat or medium cleaned and peeled shrimp

1 cup scallops, bay or cut up sea scallops

Hot cooked rice for 4 to 6 people

1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces*

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat; blend in flour, then gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add salt and shredded cheese; stir until cheese melts. Set aside. When cooled, add sour cream. Place fish pieces on bottom of buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart baking dish. Add crabmeat and scallops to the cream sauce; pour over fish. Can be refrigerated at this point until ready to bake. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes, until fish is cooked through. Serve over cooked rice or noodles. Sprinkle with toasted pecan pieces. Serves 4.

*To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.

Crabmeat Casserole with Crabmeat Salad

Crabmeat Salad:

1 pound crabmeat (may use an imitation)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon onion, grated

1 cup celery

Cheddar cheese, grated

12 slices bread for making 6 sandwiches

Combine crabmeat, mayonnaise, onion, and celery. Combine well.

Sauce:

1 pint milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Cut off edges of bread. Butter both sides. Make 6 sandwiches of crab meat salad. Cut each sandwich in fourths. Grease a casserole dish. Put in a layer of sandwiches and a layer of cheese. Pour half of sauce over this. Add a second layer of sandwiches and cheese. Add sauce to top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Serve hot.

Soak overnight before baking, if desired, to form a soufflZ that will not fall. Good for entertaining as preparation is a day previous.

Asian Seafood Tart Recipe

1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts

2 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons Asian Seasoning Mix (If you don't have this use some ground ginger, garlic powder and some teriyaki sauce)

1 package (8 ounces) flake-style imitation crab meat

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

1/4 cup carrot, grated

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Allow pie crusts to sit out while preparing filling.

Separate one egg reserving white for later. Take yolk from separated egg plus the other egg and place in bowl. Add seasonings. Add chopped crab meat, grated carrot, sliced green onion, and grated cheese. Take a deep dish baker, or a deep dish pie plate, and lay one crust in the bottom, pressing up the sides as you go. Brush bottom crust lightly with egg white. Place filling in crust. Roll out lightly the top crust. Take a cookie cutter and cut a 3-inch circle from middle of crust. Cut remaining circle of crust into 12 even wedges. In pie pan, turn down crust from sides of pan, about ?-inch, over filling. Place cut wedges from top crust onto bottom crust, with points facing the middle, in an overlapping fashion. Then take a 3-inch circle from middle and place in the middle of the pie. Brush lightly with egg white and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Stephanie, I hope one of these will suite your desire and have fun making and trying each one of these recipes.

Once again I am out of room, so until next time, have a wonderful week and happy cooking.