Seafood Casserole

Seafood casserole is a perfect Friday night dinner during Lent.  Lobster could replace the seafood for lobster macaroni and cheese.

Grease a 15” X 9” glass baking dish with butter and set aside.

• ½ stick butter
• ¼ c canola oil
• 2 c bread crumbs
• ½ c parmesan cheese

In a medium skillet, cook the butter and oil until butter melts.  Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.   Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese and set it aside.

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• ¼ c butter
• 3 T flour
• 2 c milk
• 1/3 c heavy cream
• 2 c Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 c white cheddar cheese
• ¼ c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 t salt
• ½ t mustard powder
• 1 ¼ c lump crabmeat
• ½ lb U 26 shrimp, peeled and deveined and cooked
• ½ lb lump crab meat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.  In a medium pan melt the butter and whisk in flour.  Cook and until bubbling.  Whisk in milk and cream stirring until thickens. Remove from the heat and add the three cheeses, salt and mustard powder.   Gently stir in 1 ¼ cups crabmeat and shrimp and put into the prepared baking pan.

Place remaining ½ lb crabmeat on top of casserole.  Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Note: to reduce the cost, you could replace the lump crab meat with crab claw meat.