Shrimp casserole

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F/160°C fan (or 180°C conventional). Grease a casserole dish.

Cook and drain the pasta according to the recommendations on the packaging. Then melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Cook the smashed garlic cloves in the butter for around 1 minute until fragrant, and stir continuously to avoid the garlic catching. Then add the flour and continue to stir with a whisk. Add the chicken broth gradually, stirring in.

Add the half-and-half cream, ketchup, salt, and cayenne pepper to the mix. Continue to cook over a medium heat until the mixture has started to thicken. Then add the shrimp and half of the parmesan cheese. Add the cooked pasta to the mixture and then transfer to a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the mixture with the rest of the cheese, and then bake in the oven for around 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the mixture is piping hot. Serve straight from the oven.
 

Tips & tricks

A casserole, in its most basic form, is essentially a baked one-pan dish, bringing together a variety of tasty ingredients. The recipe originated as a communal pot that communities would share and is created from a base of pasta, cheese, and spices, along with any protein you want to add from chicken to shrimp.

In the baked shrimp casserole recipe we’ve shared above, our top tip would be to try and purchase the freshest shrimp possible. If you have a local fishmonger, it’s worth asking if they can source fresh shrimp for you for the casserole. You can also make a variation of this dish by creating stuffed shrimp, with ingredients like crab meat and crackers, for a twist on a classic casserole. If you prefer rice to pasta, then simply swap out the pasta from the recipe above and replace it with 14 oz/400g of rice for a shrimp and rice casserole. Equally, in our recipe above we’ve included fusilli pasta as a traditional suggestion, but you could vary this with other types like fusilli or macaroni depending on the final texture and presentation you’d like for the dish.

What’s great about casseroles is that once you’ve mastered the basic base required, there are endless flavor combinations to explore. From Sweden to France to Mexico, there are a whole host of cuisines that have their own unique casserole recipes using local ingredients to try your hand at in the kitchen.
 

How to serve it

This shrimp casserole recipe can be enjoyed straight from the oven, piping hot. A warming dish for friends and family to come together over, we’d suggest transferring the dish straight to the table from the oven for everyone to help themselves to a portion as desired. Casseroles are really versatile and can be served as either the main event or an irresistible side dish. If you do want to plate it up alongside a couple of accompaniments, vegetables like roasted asparagus work well, or a fresh green salad can help to balance out the creamy, indulgent nature of the casserole.
 

Storage

Once the casserole has cooled, any leftovers can be stored covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, cover with foil and place in the oven on gas mark 4, 350°F/160°C fan (or 180°C conventional). Check that the casserole is piping hot and fully heated through before serving.