My Favorite Shrimp Recipe {Favorite Anything Series}

If you regularly read my blog you may be wondering how someone who doesn’t really like shrimp could have a favorite recipe for shrimp.  I am learning to eat shrimp.  It’s a good source of protein and Lent is the time when Shrimp becomes a vegetable.

This recipe isn’t strictly Lenten though if you use butter.  You could try using coconut oil. Depending on which brand you use, the coconut oil may add a coconut flavor to the shrimp.  For some this would be a good thing.

I found the idea for this recipe on Facebook.  The ingredients were vague and the directions were almost a by guess and by gosh but the idea actually made shrimp sound good. Butter and garlic can make almost anything edible and some things even better.  So start with butter (about 3 to 4 tablespoons) and garlic.  I used several cloves of fresh garlic peeled and chopped.

Melt the butter in the pan.  I let the butter melt while the oven preheats to 350 degrees.  This bit also helps to infuse the garlic flavor into the butter.  When butter is melted, lay out the shrimp, add another 3-4 tablespoons butter and sprinkle a packet of Italian dressing mix. My favorite is Good Seasons.

Pop the tray back into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the shrimp is done. The tails will be a bright pink/red color and the flesh will be white.  I admit that I used to be afraid of using raw shrimp (I still won’t use the stuff I have to peel and devein myself.  Thank you Costco for carrying raw tail on peeled and deveined shrimp!) and I would only use the already cooked ones.  Those are great to have on hand but won’t work when you want the shrimp to be infused with the flavor of garlic, butter and Italian dressing.

When the shrimp is cooked you can just serve them as is for an appetizer. We’ve done this for special occasions like Christmas or Easter or our New Year’s Eve “junk food night.”  Delicious finger food! 

It is also good tossed with some cooked pasta (angel hair is my favorite but we have used regular spaghetti).  Put the pasta in a bowl and dump the shrimp with all that buttery garlicky goodness on top.  Then toss it to distribute the garlic butter and shrimp. Served with a salad and some garlic toast, my husband says it’s like eating shrimp scampi.  You’ll want to serve it immediately.  The pasta and shrimp are NOT good cold. Don’t ask.  The shrimp itself is ok cold but much better hot and fresh.  The pasta?  Don’t ask just eat and enjoy immediately.

Italian Garlic Shrimp Recipe

• 1/2 cup butter divided
• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped (or to taste)
• 1 packet dry Good Seasons (or equivalent) Italian Dressing Mix
• 1/2 pounds raw, peeled, deveined shrimp (I buy it frozen from Costco!)

Place 4 tablespoons of butter on a rimmed baking tray. Spread minced/finely chopped garlic over butter.  Turn oven to 350 degrees (and don’t forget to turn it on!), place tray in oven and allow butter to melt while oven heats. Watch carefully so the butter doesn’t burn.  Remove melted butter and lay shrimp in a single layer on top of melted butter. Thinly slice remaining butter and place on top of shrimp.  Sprinkle packet of dry Italian dressing mix evenly over buttered shrimp. Bake until shrimp are cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Serve alone as an appetizer or toss with pasta for a main dish.

Do you have a favorite a favorite shrimp recipe? Maybe you have a favorite pasta recipe? Which one? Leave me a comment to share your favorite recipe or write a blog post and link it up. Have a blog post about your favorite book, actor, hymn, Bible verse or anything that is your favorite? Please link up. Be sure and visit the other blogs linked up to see what their favorite anything is this week.

 

 

 

 

Rules for linking up:

1. Post must talk about something that is your favorite.  It doesn’t have to be the same topic as my favorite post this week but it must be about something that is your favorite. Or at least your favorite this week.
2. Please include a link back to my blog.  You are welcome to grab the button from the sidebar to include in your post.