Inside: A modern twist on a traditional seafood casserole; updated with fresh vegetables, large Atlantic Canadian scallops, shrimp and low-sodium crab meat. Best served warm with rice and crusty bread.
I am proud to be partnered with Atlantic Superstore to bring you this yummy hearty recipe!
It seems silly, but cooking my way through Gramma’s recipes has brought me closer to her. If I’m being totally truthful, I don’t remember the last time she served me this seafood casserole. I wish I could say that I did. But I do know it was a longstanding tradition that she’d make it for me on my birthday every year.
You guys, seafood casserole. Every year. And we lived in the middle of the continent, nowhere near local lobster, shrimp, scallops or crab! And it was always a soiree for our entire family. I realize now, this was her act of absolute love. Love through food. Love through being together. It was always such a feast…and I remember feeling like the belle of the ball every time we ate this.
Now, I see the connection my sweet little P has with both her Gramma and her Gran and it just fills me up. Both of them love to cook and I can already see the fun memories developing for her around her grandmothers and food… so much joy.
Anyway, I am really excited to share this with you. The recipe is very old (at least 37 years hehe) and so we adapted it from the original to make it a bit healthier, modern and to use as much local seafood as possible. 
Kristen Gaudet, a Registered Dietitianat my local Atlantic Superstore , met me to go through Gramma’s recipe together. (You might recall that Kristen also helped me when I was on my quest for simple, healthy breakfasts too!)
We swapped out regular bread crumbs for a healthier Panko version, we used fresh, shredded Parmesan instead of the dry version and then we kind of eyeballed the amount of seafood. We also added in more fresh, local vegetables, like zucchini, along with the celery and peppers that were already part of the original recipe.
The recipe used all canned lobster, shrimp and crab, but I really wanted to use fresh – because that’s always better tasting, right?
One thing that Kristen taught me, especially when it comes to buying frozen seafood is to compare sodium levels. In the case of these Nova Scotian scallops, they have only 7% sodium, which means they were likely caught and frozen immediately.
Other types had sodium levels of about 20% which means they were likely caught and brined and then frozen. It’s still a good option, but it means you’ll have to reduce the salt you add to the recipe because the seafood will already be quite salty.
By the way, if you have a recipe like this that you’d like to update, adapt or if you just want some guidance with your meal planning, you can book 30-minutes with a dietitian like Kristen at your local Atlantic Superstore and you can do your shopping together! I highly recommend it. I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to try this recipe without Kristen’s help!
Without further ado, let’s get to this seafood casserole recipe, shall we!
Homemade Seafood Casserole
A hearty seafood casserole with scallops, crab and shrimp. Lobster can also be added for additional sweetness and texture.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 large celery stalk, chopped
- 1/3 of a pepper (green, red or orange)
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 2/3 sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 t. salt
- 2 2/3 cups milk
- 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
- 1 package frozen Nova Scotia Scallops
- 1 can chunked crab meat (or lobster)
- 1 can small shrimp
- 1 jar diced pimentos
- 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2T melted butter
- 3/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
Chop celery, zucchini, and peppers. Melt 1/2 cup of butter in saucepan over medium heat and add vegetables. Brown for about 60-90 seconds. Slowly sift in flour, stirring constantly. Add salt. Add in milk slowly, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Cut scallops into quarters. 
Slice hard boiled eggs. 
Butter a casserole dish.
Turn the cream sauce/vegetable mixture into the dish. Add eggs and mix. Add seafood and mix. Drain and add pimentos and mix. 
If you are making ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. 
Mix melted butter with Panko bread crumbs and sprinkle over top of the casserole.
Follow with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Top with the slivered almonds.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350F for 25 minutes. Increase the heat to 400F and bake an additional 7-10 minutes to crisp and brown the topping. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Can be eaten on its own, with rice or with warm crusty bread!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 360Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 670mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 16g
