Description
This Stuffed Seafood Bread Bowl is a creamy, flavorful dish featuring a mixture of shrimp, crab, and scallops or white fish combined with cream cheese and seasonings, all baked inside a hollowed sourdough bread loaf. Perfect as an appetizer or main course, this recipe offers a delightful blend of seafood richness with a crisp, golden bread exterior.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood Mixture
- ½ lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
- ½ cup lump crab meat
- ½ cup cooked scallops or white fish, flaked (optional)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Vegetables and Seasonings
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
Bread and Cooking Fats
- 1 large round sourdough bread loaf
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread Bowl: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the top off the sourdough loaf and carefully hollow out the center, leaving about 1-inch thick sides and bottom to form a sturdy bowl. Set the hollowed bread and the cut-off top aside for later use.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter together with olive oil. Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing for 2–3 minutes until they become soft and aromatic.
- Cook Seafood: Add the chopped shrimp to the skillet and cook until they turn pink, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in the lump crab meat and the cooked scallops or white fish if using, mixing gently to combine.
- Create Creamy Mixture: Add the softened cream cheese to the seafood and stir until it melts and becomes smooth. Pour in the heavy cream, then add shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, paprika, and salt to taste. Continue cooking until the mixture becomes creamy and slightly thickened.
- Finish the Filling: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the chopped parsley to add freshness and color to the seafood filling.
- Assemble and Bake: Spoon the creamy seafood mixture into the hollowed sourdough bread bowl. Replace the bread top. Wrap the whole loaf tightly in foil.
- Bake the Bread Bowl: Place the foil-wrapped bread bowl on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to allow the top to crisp up nicely.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, slice the bread bowl into sections, and serve warm. Use the hollowed-out bread pieces for dipping or toast them separately for a crunchy accompaniment.
Notes
- This dish works well as both an appetizer or a main course depending on serving size.
- The hollowed-out bread cubes can be reserved for dipping or toasted separately to accompany the seafood filling.
- Feel free to substitute the seafood based on your preference or availability, such as using different shellfish or white fish varieties.
- Ensure the bread bowl’s walls are thick enough to hold the creamy filling without leaking.
