Description
Deliciously creamy and cheesy stuffed seafood bread bowl featuring a savory mixture of shrimp, crab meat, cream cheese, and spices baked inside a hollowed sourdough loaf. Perfect as an appetizer or party dish, combining rich seafood flavors with a crispy bread shell for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Bowl
- 1 large round sourdough bread loaf
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Seafood & Vegetables
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- 1/2 lb lump crab meat, drained and picked over
Cheese Mixture
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread Bowl: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice the top off the sourdough loaf and carefully hollow out the center, leaving about a 1-inch thick shell. Reserve the removed bread pieces for dipping later.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Cook Seafood: Add the chopped shrimp to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the lump crab meat, combining gently to preserve the crab pieces.
- Mix Cheese Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and well blended.
- Combine Seafood with Cheese: Fold the cooked seafood and vegetable mixture into the cheese mixture, stirring until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Fill and Bake: Spoon the seafood and cheese mixture into the hollowed bread bowl, spreading it evenly. Place the filled bread bowl on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot, bubbly, and slightly golden on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. Serve immediately with the reserved bread chunks or crackers for dipping.
Notes
- For added heat, incorporate chopped jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce to the filling.
- You can prepare the seafood filling ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to bake.
- Feel free to substitute shrimp and crab with scallops or lobster for a different gourmet variation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of bread bowl
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
