May 12, 2010

Jumbo Seafood Shells

"For-a-Crowd" Recipes, cheese, crab, fish/seafood, lunch, main dish, pasta, picnic, Potluck Recipes, Shrimp

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31 ratings

Prep time: 15 minutes
cooking time 10 minutes
chilling time 30 minutes Servings: 8
Partner: Elegant Fruit Salad

These delicate stuffed shells were Gram’s signature dish at bridal and baby showers.

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package jumbo pasta shells
1 (7 1/2-ounce) can crabmeat
1 cup grated Swiss cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
1 (2 1/2-ounce) can tiny shrimp, drained
2 tablespoons thinly sliced celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped pimiento
Celery leaves, optional for garnish

Directions

1

Cook the pasta according to package directions until tender but firm to the bite. Drain pasta. Rinse with cool water; drain again. Invert shells on paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
2

Drain and discard the liquid from crabmeat. Place crabmeat in a large bowl; flake with fork into small pieces. Remove any bits of shell or cartilage.
3

Add Swiss cheese, salad dressing, shrimp, celery, onion and pimiento to crabmeat. Add more salad dressing, if mixture seems too dry.
4

Using large spoon, stuff cooled shells with seafood mixture. Cover; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Place on a serving platter. Garnish with celery leaves, if desired.

Grandma's Secret Trick

Since Gram usually served these elegant shells at a party, she jump-started their preparation so there was less to do at the last minute. The night before, she made the seafood filling and refrigerated it in an airtight container. The next morning she cooked and stuffed the shells and chilled them right on the serving platter. A sprinkle of minced fresh parsley over the top was the easy last-minute touch.