Shrimp And Mushroom Stuffed Flounder

The seafood counter had some beautiful flounder fillets come in and I knew I wanted some for dinner, but was not wanting to spend the money for lump crabmeat to stuff it with, so I thought “What about stuffing it with shrimp?” $17 for half a pound of crab versus $10 for a full pound of fresh shrimp was a no brainer. Time to come up with something new and here it is!

  • 3 flounder fillets, about a 1/3 a pound each
  • 3/4 lb fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half
  • 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp cajun seasoning
  • a few turns salt and pepper
  • extra cajun seasoning and panko for topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a fry pan and add mushrooms, garlic, and onions. When mushrooms start to soften, add shrimp and cook until shrimp start to firm up. Remove shrimp mixture to a mixing bowl. Wipe out fry pan and return to heat with the bacon. When crisp, remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and pat to remove some of the grease, then add to the mixing bowl with the shrimp. Add mayo, breadcrumbs, seasoning, and salt & pepper, and stir to combine.

Place flounder on a piece of wax paper or foil and pat dry. Spoon 1/3 of mixture across the center of one piece of flounder and roll up to resemble picture above. Place on a greased baking sheet and top with a sprinkle of cajun seasoning and panko. Repeat with remaining flounder fillets.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with a salad and your favorite oven-roasted veggie.

Shrimp And Grits

A Southern tradition. I’ve had several versions of this and have yet to find one I don’t like! This is my version, taking my favorite ingredients from the Shrimp and Grits I’ve had at restaurants and from recipes I found on the internet. Sometimes I surprise even myself and with this recipe, I did just that! It was so good, I can’t wait to make it again!

I used fresh local shrimp in this dish, and I’m a firm believer that you should always buy seafood from the U.S., not the farm-raised stuff from Thailand! Not only does it taste much better, but you’re helping out an industry that has been dwindling because of the bad economy and outrageous gas prices!

For the grits:
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 oz roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
  • 8 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 lbs fresh 21/25 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8 oz cooked Andouille sausage, chopped into half moons ( I used Johnsonville “New Orleans Brand”)
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 6 tbsp flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

Start the grits. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, stir in grits, and cook on low for 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and roasted red peppers. Keep warm while preparing the gravy.

Place bacon in a stockpot and heat over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add onion, green pepper, and celery to the bacon grease. Cook veggies for about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and the sausage. Cook until shrimp are firm and pink, then remove from the pot. Set aside and keep warm. Pour in wine then stir in the flour. Slowly stir in milk, then Cajun seasoning. Cook and stir continuously until thickened, then remove from heat. 

To plate, pour 1/4 of the grits on a plate, then 1/4 of the shrimp, then cover with gravy. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Repeat with remaining ingredients for 4 servings. Enjoy!